The issue of the US Postal Service (USPS) has been kicked around by both Democrats and Republicans of late, with the former blaming Donald Trump of intentionally hampering the post service ahead of the November elections, and Republicans backing the president’s warnings that mail-in voting could result in massive electoral rigging.
A high-profile member of the “squad” of progressive new Democratic congresswomen that includes New York’s Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, and Michigan congresswoman Rashida Tlaib has ignited ire with her incendiary statements calling for “unrest in the streets”.
Ayanna Pressley, representative for Massachusetts, was featured on Saturday’s edition of AM Joy on MSNBC, where she addressed her concerns over changes to the US Postal Service (USPS).
The congresswoman urged immediate action on the part of the public in response to perceived threats to the postal system ahead of the November presidential poll in the US and the mail-in vote called upon to alleviate the risks amid the coronavirus pandemic.
A U.S. Postal Service (USPS) post office is pictured in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., August 14, 2020.
Pressley’s outburst triggered condemnation on the internet, as conservatives tweeted their “disgust” over the “unhinged” and “horrible” remarks.
A former adviser to Donald Trump, Sebastian Gorka tweeted a call to never “give in to the Mob”.
Commentator Drew Berquist said that Pressley was encouraging “violence”.
Blogger Matt Walsh similarly did not condone the “pure evil” remarks.
Ayanna Pressley lambasted the US Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, who she said should resign for “corruption”, after the USPS Inspector General reportedly initiated an investigation of DeJoy last week.
The move followed demands by a group of eight Senate Democrats, led by Elizabeth Warren, to probe the changes spearheaded by him that were claimed to have slowed mail delivery.
Postal Service ‘Bone of Contention’
Democrats are accusing President Donald Trump of deliberately “kneecapping” the post service by refusing to sign off on $25 billion in emergency funds for it amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
As they blast Trump for attempting to “disenfranchise voters” in November, citing warnings from the US Postal Service issued to 46 US states and Washington DC that ballots might not be delivered on time for the poll, Republicans are backing the current occupant of the White House’s claim that mail-in voting could lead to massive electoral fraud.
Earlier, on 7 August, US Postmaster General Louis DeJoy announced organisational changes at the USPS, touted as driven by cost-slashing concerns, but slammed by critics as set to jeopardise states’ plans to increase the use of mail-in ballots amid the pandemic.
Sourse: sputniknews.com
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