, the United States Postal Service is under a grave threat — and you and I must immediately act to save it.
The USPS has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic — and if Congress doesn’t provide emergency funding, this vital public service could go bankrupt by September. [1]
Making matters worse -- far worse: President Trump has installed one of his big campaign donors as Postmaster General. Unlike his past 4 predecessors, this political appointee hasn’t worked a day in his life for the Postal Service. [2]
Make no mistake. Trump now has a man on the inside to carry out his agenda -- taking over, undermining, and possibly even trying to privatize this vital agency. This seems to be exactly the goal Trump seeks -- since he’s threatened to veto any stimulus bill that funds the USPS, after railing against the agency for years.
You and I both know how much Americans rely on the USPS every day. Letters from family. Life-saving medications. Newsletters and magazines. Unfortunately, too many folks take the Postal Service for granted.
Not you. I know that Common Cause members like you already understand the value of the Postal Service and why we need to fight for it harder than ever right now.
That’s because you also understand how much our democracy relies on the USPS. Not just mail-in ballots -- which more voters than ever before will use in November -- but for the 2020 Census too, which will determine congressional representation and public resource allocation for the next decade.
This is exactly why President Trump has spent months viciously spreading disinformation about vote-by-mail -- calling it “corrupt” and “dangerous.” [3] And now, he’s trying to gut the USPS -- leaving the millions of Americans in red, blue, and purple states who plan to mail in their ballots this November potentially forced to choose between exercising their basic right to vote or exposing themselves to COVID-19.
We can block Trump’s vile plan. For 50 years, we’ve successfully fought to protect American democracy — and right now, that means protecting the USPS.
To put it bluntly, we need $200,000 in additional funding before June 30th -- the end of our fiscal year -- to do it. And to help meet this urgent need, one generous Common Cause supporter, who wishes to remain anonymous, has already contributed $100,000.
She did so in hopes that she could count on you and your fellow Common Cause members to make it the rest of the way. I believe this goal is within reach -- so please, if you're able to, can you chip in $3 or more today?
I know many of our members are facing difficult financial circumstances right now -- so please only give if you are able to. But if you can, please know you’ll be making an immediate impact benefiting our democracy.
Here’s the good news — if Congress includes USPS funding in the next must-pass coronavirus stimulus bill, Trump will likely back down on his veto threat and sign it.
So it comes down to this simple question: will members of Congress side with Trump’s efforts to destroy the USPS? Or will they defend an overwhelmingly popular public service that their constituents -- Republican, Democratic, and Independent -- rely on every single day?
I’m confident this is a fight we can win -- but only if we can rely on your help. Common Cause members like you have already provided a crucial voice in Congress’s negotiations -- and you helped secure some of the necessary oversight and election funding in the first round of COVID-19 stimulus legislation.
But the next bill -- on which negotiations are beginning right now -- represents an even higher-stakes fight. For the sake of our democracy, we need your help to make sure all of our priorities -- election funding, rural broadband, oversight of bailout money, and a strong and resilient USPS -- are included.
The truth is, Common Cause’s work to protect voters in 2020 has grown more necessary in the past few weeks. And because one generous member has already stepped up with $100,000, her contribution puts us just $100,000 away from hitting our ambitious goal of $200,000.
By reaching that goal we’ll be able to dramatically increase the number of voters we’re able to assist in November. Can you help get us there?
We’ve fought for half a century to protect every American’s
right to vote -- and that fight has taken on new importance now. I’m
glad we can continue to count on your support.
Thanks for all you do,
Jesse Littlewood, Vice President for Campaigns
and the team at Common Cause
[1] https://federalnewsnetwork.com/agency-oversight/2020/05/usps-board-names-logistics-executive-as-new-postmaster-general/
[2] https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/10/politics/postal-service-congress-help/index.html
[3] https://www.nytimes.com/article/mail-in-voting-explained.html
