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Press Release Published: Sep 16, 2020

Comer: Dems’ Latest Postal Bill Another Attempt to Keep False Narrative Alive

WASHINGTON – House Committee on Oversight and Reform Ranking Member James Comer (R-Ky.) opened today’s markup of the Democrats’ so-called Nonpartisan Postmaster General Act (H.R. 8109) by emphasizing that it is the latest attempt to keep the Democrats’ false narrative around the Postal Service alive.

Ranking Member Comer blasts Democrats for continuing to promote their postal conspiracy theory and states that this unnecessary legislation would likely dissuade skilled and talented individuals from going into public service. He underscores that the Postal Service is more than capable of handing the 2020 election.

Below are his prepared remarks.

The Nonpartisan Postmaster General Act may have “nonpartisan” in its title, but it is certainly the most political bill we will discuss today.

This bill is the latest attempt to keep the Democrats’ false narrative around the Postal Service alive.

The pattern is clear: level outrageous allegations, ignore information to the contrary, repeat.

This bill takes it a step further and proports to take “action” in the form of heavy-handed, unnecessary legislation that would likely serve only to dissuade skilled and talented individuals from going into public service.

I encourage my colleagues to vote no on this bill.

The Postmaster General, the Deputy Postmaster General, and the members of the Board of Governors are already subject to the requirements of the Hatch Act.  This bill seeks to put them in the same category as members of the CIA, the FBI or the Defense Intelligence Agency as “further restricted employees.”

Why?  Well, there is an election right around the corner and we all need our talking points.

This legislation is aimed squarely at Louis DeJoy and is intended for the 24-hour news cycle.

It effectively assigns guilt to all involved – the postmaster general and the board of governors.

The bill also limits the Board of Governors of the Postal Service to only selecting a Postmaster General who has been in no political role for four years upon his or her assuming the new position.

Just because someone has been a Republican or a Democrat and held an elected office should not preclude them from serving their country as a Postmaster General.

Taking all the people out of the pool who have served politically in four years is simply tying the Board of Governors’ hands and likely removes potentially qualified candidates.

This bill is not needed, has not been vetted at all, and knee jerk reaction to the continuing allegations put forth by the media and Democrats.

The Postal Service is more than capable of handing the 2020 election. Any rhetoric suggesting otherwise improperly undermines American’s confidence in our electoral system.

I urge my colleagues to vote no on this resolution.

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