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4 Ohio GOP congressmen defy party, Trump to back USPS aid

https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/politics/2020/08/23/4-ohio-gop-congressmen-defy-party-trump-to-back-usps-aid/113450218/

Defying a veto threat from President Donald Trump and opposition from GOP leaders, a quartet of Ohio Republicans voted for a House measure Saturday providing $25 billion to the U.S. Postal Service.

Congressmen Troy Balderson of Zanesville, Dave Joyce of Geauga County, Steve Stivers of Columbus and Mike Turner of Dayton were among those who went against their party.

“Preserving the integrity of our elections is of the utmost importance, and ensuring our Postal Service has the resources it needs to deliver Americans’ mail in a timely manner — including absentee ballots — is essential to the function of our republic,” Balderson said in a release after the vote on the Delivering for America Act.

“The needs of America’s families — like those I represent in Ohio — come first, and this legislation will support them as well as bolster jobs across the country,” Balderson said.

Stivers’ reasoning was similar.

“The United States Postal Service plays a vital role in the lives of my constituents, particularly those in rural communities, from ensuring their ballots are counted to paying their bills and receiving life-saving medication,” he said in his release.

“I was proud to vote in support of H.R. 8015 so that the USPS has the resources it needs in the short term, and look forward to continuing to work in a bipartisan manner to make the necessary changes that puts it on the path to long-term fiscal solvency.”

All four Ohio Democratic House members voted in favor.

Of the 26 Republicans nationwide who crossed party lines, central Ohio Democratic Rep. Joyce Beatty tweeted: “They too know that @USPS is not a political issue & realize @WhiteHouse/DeJoy’s assault hurts our democracy and disenfranchises countless voters!”

Democratic Rep. Tim Ryan of Niles said, “The Trump Administration’s attacks on the Postal Service over the last few weeks have resulted in mail delays across the country. This is impacting Americans across the board, whether you are in a red state or blue state, whether you live in a city, suburb, or rural America — postal service delays impact your life.”

The rest of the Ohio GOP delegation — except Bob Gibbs of Lakeville, who did not vote — opposed the controversial proposal.

And some didn’t just vote no, they painted the bill as a Democrat-inspired conspiracy to make Trump look bad.

Rep. Bill Johnson of Marietta said the postal service’s problems didn’t just emerge.

“What did happen, however, over the last couple of weeks, is that Democrats conjured up yet another fake scandal in an attempt to hurt President Trump,” he said.

“I’m not concerned about Ohio’s election process. In our state we have a solid system in place where citizens can request an absentee ballot. And, of course, people can always vote in-person early or on Election Day.”

Congressman Jim Jordan of Urbana expressed similar beliefs last week when he spoke at the opening of Trump’s Ohio campaign headquarters in Westerville.


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