(TRENTON) – In response to efforts by the Trump administration to downgrade operations of the United States Postal Service, which will disrupt mail service nationwide during a global pandemic and with a pending presidential election, Assemblyman John Armato (D-Atlantic) released the following statement:
“The United States Postal Service is in crisis. The planned rollback of operations will be detrimental to all Americans, particularly seniors, veterans, and those who live in rural areas. We can expect delivery delays, reduced hours at the post office and job losses for postal workers who’ve worked tirelessly these last few months to keep mail flowing during the pandemic.
“It’s concerning to think that critical mail and packages – including the almost 120 million medical prescriptions delivered to 330,000 veterans, myself included, nationwide by mail – may be delayed for several days or weeks if these changes are implemented. And those like myself who live in the rural Western part of Atlantic County will have more difficulty accessing a service that helps keep us connected.
“We also must not forget that more voters may choose to cast their ballot by mail in the upcoming election. In New Jersey, the election will be conducted primarily by mail, with every registered voter receiving a mail-in ballot. If ballots are delayed because of delivery issues, they may not be counted. Restricting the postal service restricts our right to vote.
“It’s time to stop politicizing the postal service. We should focus our efforts on rebuilding USPS, not cutting operations during a worldwide health emergency and ahead of a national election.”