Rep. Payne Of NJ Visits Post Offices In Newark, Orange, Union

NEWARK, NJ — A congressman from New Jersey visited U.S. Postal Service (USPS) locations in Newark, Orange and Union on Tuesday as controversy about the 2020 general election continues to heat up in his home state.

Donning a face mask with the official seal of the U.S. House of Representatives, Rep. Donald Payne Jr. spoke to managers and workers at the three post offices, trying to get more information about the hardships they’ve faced during the coronavirus pandemic.

Payne, who represents the state’s 10th District, made his visits as the House prepares to vote on bills to restore postal service and delivery to pre-coronavirus levels, as well as provide the USPS with $25 billion in emergency funds.

“I’ve said many times that the Post Office must be protected at all costs,” Payne charged, taking a shot at President Donald Trump.

The president recently told the Fox Business Network that he's starving the U.S. Postal Service of money to make it harder for them to process the surge of mail-in ballots.

"If we don't make a deal, that means they don't get the money," Trump told host Maria Bartiromo. "That means they can't have universal mail-in voting; they just can't have it."

• See related article: NJ Politicians Call For Action On USPS Funding Crisis

But according to Payne, the carriers and workers at the USPS are more than able to get the job done, as long as they get the right tools and funds.

“The Trump Administration wants to limit effective mail service to try and create distrust in mail-in voting during the 2020 election,” charged the congressman, who has written or co-signed four letters to House leaders in support of the USPS over the past two weeks.

Payne said he’ll take the information he gathered on Tuesday and put it to work when he votes on the Delivering for America Act (H.R. 8015) this week.

According to Payne, the bill would halt Post Office closures or consolidations, stop the reduction of hours at postal locations, ensure that employees receive overtime pay for overtime hours, and return postal service to “the level Americans experienced on Jan. 1,” before the coronavirus public health crisis hit the United States.

Payne represents the following towns in Essex, Hudson and Union County: Bloomfield, East Orange, Glen Ridge, Irvington, Maplewood, Montclair, Newark, Orange, South Orange, West Orange, Bayonne, Jersey City, Hillside, Linden, Rahway, Roselle, Roselle Park and Union Township.

• See related article: Vote-By-Mail Should Go Nationwide In Pandemic, Sen. Booker Says

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