Action 49 – Save the Postal Service
Background: The Trump administration is engaged in numerous unconstitutional and illegal acts. That’s the opinion of experts at the Brennan Center for Justice and other nonpartisan think tanks. We are fools if we think the sole aim is government efficiency. So what is the actual game plan? Why are they trashing civil service agencies? The method could lie in Project 2025, but the motive could be very simple. Create chaos, fire the professionals who run essential services like the Postal Service, the National Park Service, the National Weather Service, Medicare (and more) then swoop in with private dollars from billionaire buddies to buy the franchise, tack on an expensive administrative fee, and privatize the whole thing. Who benefits? The billionaire buddies, including the wannabe dictator Trump. Who loses? The American people. This was the playbook in Russia, and probably in other places that Trump admires, like Hungary.
In the near term, Trump has said he intends to fire the bipartisan Postal Board of Governors and move the postal service into the Department of Commerce. “This ... is a reckless move that could give Donald Trump power to politicize mail delivery and undermine the reliability of an essential and constitutional service that Americans depend on. It could jeopardize people’s access to lifesaving medications and government benefits, impede the delivery of mail ballots in the next election, or allow the president to retaliate against states or business interests that don’t fall in line...”
Congress has the power to stop this. On Feb 22, all 20 Democratic members of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform sent a letter to Trump pointing out that he has to get Congressional approval for this move, and they aren’t going to grant it. Will the Republican members of that committee have the guts to agree? Unlikely. There are 25 Republicans on that committee, some of them the most extreme MAGA types. Will the entire Congress bend the knee to Trump on this issue if it comes up for a vote? Will Trump obey the law and even try to get Congressional approval?
Action: Maine does not have a representative on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, but you can send an email to our representatives urging them to support their fellow Democrats when and if the request comes before Congress. And if Trump just goes ahead with his unconstitutional plan, they can speak out and resist.
Contact:
Jared Golden DC: 202 225 6306 Bangor: 207 249 7400 https://golden.house.gov/contact
Chellie Pingree DC: 202 225 6116 Portland: 207 774 5019 https://pingree.house.gov/contact/
Urgency: Unknown when this will boil over, but probably soon.
Extra Credit:
https://oversightdemocrats.house.gov/news/press-releases/committee-democrats-demand-president-trump-abandon-any-plans-illegally (the letter is embedded in this article at the bottom where it says “click here”)
https://oversight.house.gov/subcommittee/full-committee/ (membership of committee)
https://www.americanprogress.org/press/statement-president-trump-must-not-dismantle-the-postal-service/
https://www.nalc.org/news/nalc-updates/nalc-statement-on-reported-executive-order-attacking-postal-service (Postal workers’ union. We Democrats should support the union!)
https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2022/03/29/1088886554/how-putin-conquered-russias-oligarchy (important article for understanding the Trump/Putin bromance and where it’s headed. Completely consistent with Michael Cohen’s warning)