INDIANAPOLIS — The House of Representatives has been called back to Washington to take a closer look at recent Postal Service budget cuts and service issues.
The postal service was warned states that mail-in ballots for the fall election might not get to their destination in time.
Gregory Jones, president of the Indianapolis local of the American Postal Workers Union, says the people he works with are a dedicated group doing an important job. "A lot of people send things through the mail because they can trust it'll be delivered, and it's always been that way," said Jones. "We have an obligation to the public to give them a service and a lot of us believe in that and that's what we do."
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has criticized voting by mail, and threatened to withhold billions of dollars in postal service funding. And, the Postmaster General, appointed by the president, is implementing what we calls cost-cutting measures, including cutting overtime hours, but resulting in slower service.
"When they slow the mail down like that, it effects our veterans that look for their prescriptions in the mail. It effects senior citizens that have online medicine prescriptions."
Jones says he knows some mail-processing machines have been removed from sorting facilities, which contributes to slower service. But he's not upset at his superiors.
"The bottom line is, they're being directed from higher up to cut down on overtime and this, that, or the other, but we still do everything we can to get that mail out," said Jones.
What Jones wants to see are service improvements, so people who vote by mail in the November election can be sure their ballots get where they're going on time. "I have no doubt that the postal service across the country will do everything to ensure those ballots are processed and be able to be counted in a timely manner," said Jones.
The U.S. Postal Services does not use tax dollars for operating expenses. It relies on the sale of stamps, products and services for its revenue.
