Hoyer Remarks on the Delivering for America Act
For Immediate Release:
August 22, 2020
Contact Info:
Annaliese Davis 202-225-3130
WASHINGTON, DC – House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (MD) spoke on the House Floor today in support of the Delivering for America Act. Below are excerpts from his remarks:
“…84,631 deaths since [the] Heroes [Act] passed…. No action in the Republican-controlled and led United States Senate. So, don't whine to me about what you want on the Floor. Don't whine to me about ‘we could have done this,’ ‘we could have done that,’ ‘we could have done the other.’ …. You have the opportunity to make a deal. Now we control the House and very frankly the [Senate] Majority Leader cannot pass a bill because 20 of your members in the United States Senate want to do nothing and just tell the people who are suffering, who have unemployment and don't have child care, ‘you are on your own.’”
“…Congress needs to take action now that will ensure our Postal Service can continue to deliver for America through this pandemic, just as it always has reliably delivered for our people, that’s why this legislation is necessary. Millions depend on the Postal Service to obtain medications, receive paychecks, and access vital services. For rural services in particular, the Postal Service -- that's the irony -- for rural communities, the Postal Service is probably even more important. This year in particular, it will play a crucial role, the Postal Service, in helping tens of millions of Americans stay safe from COVID-19.”
“Congress, therefore, must take action to prevent them from simply changing their minds and causing massive postal delays in the weeks ahead. Remember: he said he's just delayed his changes, which caused the fall in service. [The] Delivering for America Act, that's what the postal department has done since before the Constitution was adopted… and I'm so pleased, Madam Chair, that you included in your bill first class treatment [of ballots], because voting is [a] first class priority in America.”
“You ought to vote for this bill. Not for Democrats. You ought to vote for it for your people. For the people in your rural neighborhoods who are counting on the postal department to bring that prescription drug, which is critical to maintain their health or save their lives. You ought to vote it for the person, over one million, getting Social Security checks in the mail. That's why you ought to vote for it, not for us. And you ought to vote for it because you want everybody to vote. You want everybody to participate in this democracy. You want an election that, like so many other countries, has 80% of our people participating. Who don't want to be the 86,001 who dies because they went to someplace and aggregated together and got COVID-19. That's what this is about: making our people able to participate safely in their democracy. Vote for this bill. It's not a partisan bill. It's a bill that says Republicans ought to be safe in voting. Democrats ought to be safe in voting. Independents ought to be safe in voting. If that's what they choose to do. This is a good bill. It's a bill for America's democracy. It's a bill for making sure that our people are connected through the mail.”
“…84,631 deaths since [the] Heroes [Act] passed…. No action in the Republican-controlled and led United States Senate. So, don't whine to me about what you want on the Floor. Don't whine to me about ‘we could have done this,’ ‘we could have done that,’ ‘we could have done the other.’ …. You have the opportunity to make a deal. Now we control the House and very frankly the [Senate] Majority Leader cannot pass a bill because 20 of your members in the United States Senate want to do nothing and just tell the people who are suffering, who have unemployment and don't have child care, ‘you are on your own.’”
“…Congress needs to take action now that will ensure our Postal Service can continue to deliver for America through this pandemic, just as it always has reliably delivered for our people, that’s why this legislation is necessary. Millions depend on the Postal Service to obtain medications, receive paychecks, and access vital services. For rural services in particular, the Postal Service -- that's the irony -- for rural communities, the Postal Service is probably even more important. This year in particular, it will play a crucial role, the Postal Service, in helping tens of millions of Americans stay safe from COVID-19.”
“Congress, therefore, must take action to prevent them from simply changing their minds and causing massive postal delays in the weeks ahead. Remember: he said he's just delayed his changes, which caused the fall in service. [The] Delivering for America Act, that's what the postal department has done since before the Constitution was adopted… and I'm so pleased, Madam Chair, that you included in your bill first class treatment [of ballots], because voting is [a] first class priority in America.”
“You ought to vote for this bill. Not for Democrats. You ought to vote for it for your people. For the people in your rural neighborhoods who are counting on the postal department to bring that prescription drug, which is critical to maintain their health or save their lives. You ought to vote it for the person, over one million, getting Social Security checks in the mail. That's why you ought to vote for it, not for us. And you ought to vote for it because you want everybody to vote. You want everybody to participate in this democracy. You want an election that, like so many other countries, has 80% of our people participating. Who don't want to be the 86,001 who dies because they went to someplace and aggregated together and got COVID-19. That's what this is about: making our people able to participate safely in their democracy. Vote for this bill. It's not a partisan bill. It's a bill that says Republicans ought to be safe in voting. Democrats ought to be safe in voting. Independents ought to be safe in voting. If that's what they choose to do. This is a good bill. It's a bill for America's democracy. It's a bill for making sure that our people are connected through the mail.”