Manchester Ink Link
By Andrew Sylvia
September 11, 2020

MANCHESTER, N.H. – On Friday, U.S. Senate Jeanne Shaheen made a trip to the U.S. Post Office on Goffs Falls Road to obtain more information after a sorting machine was recently removed under what many Democrats believed to be a dubious process.

Shaheen took the tour of the facility after 5,500 New Hampshire residents expressed their concerns about mail delivery in recent weeks, specifically in regard delivering crucial medicine such as insulin to Granite Staters.

After the tour, Shaheen was given the impression that the facility is adjusting to the changes and continued scrutiny is needed as the U.S. Postal Service adapts during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I think it’s important for us to see if that continues and see that they have the equipment they need to get the mail out,” she said.

Democrats have expressed frustration with U.S. Postmaster Louis DeJoy in recent weeks. Congressman Chris Pappas and the entire New Hampshire Congressional Delegation made statements on Goffs Falls Road criticizing the sorting machine removals across the country and in Manchester, with the removals occurring shortly after President Donald Trump made comments that Democrats saw as an attack on mail-in voting.

When the New Hampshire Congressional Delegation came to the facility, only U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) took a tour inside due to U.S. Postal Service guidelines prohibiting elected officials from taking tours within postal facilities within 45 days of a Primary or General Election , as the other three members of the delegation as up for re-election this fall.

While Shaheen has not directly talked to DeJoy, it was her understanding on Friday that DeJoy sought to remove the machines due to decreased usage of the U.S. Postal Service and DeJoy has committed to stop any further machine removals until further notice to belay any fears regarding mail-in voting.

In Washington, Shaheen says that her Republican colleagues have said little to nothing in regard to preserving the health of the U.S. Postal Service, and that the Senate should pass the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act that was passed by the House earlier this summer to ensure that the U.S. Postal Service can stay fiscally healthy. However, she added that the most important thing to safeguard the U.S. Postal Service’s health is removing the agency’s requirement to pre-fund pensions 75 years into the future, an amount that accounts for 98 percent of the U.S Postal Service’s debt.

Several weeks earlier, GOP Senate Candidate and Shaheen’s opponent Corky Messner stated that concerns about the U.S. Postal Service from Democrats are little more than political distractions and no attempts were made to address structural issues within the U.S. Postal Service during the Obama Administration.

Later in the day, Shaheen was endorsed by the American Postal Workers Union Local 230.

“Throughout her career, Senator Jeanne Shaheen has consistently advocated for our postal workers in New Hampshire and fought to protect the Postal Service,” said Dana Coletti, President, American Postal Workers Union, Manchester Local 230. “In the Senate, she has pressed to increase USPS funding, to invest in the infrastructure we depend on, and to protect union rights. Most recently, when the Postal Service was under threat, she listened to our concerns and stood with us, demanding the reversal of the harmful proposed changes. This is the kind of leadership Granite Staters deserve, and why we need her back in the U.S. Senate, fighting for the working men and women of New Hampshire.”