The US House of
Representatives on Saturday passed a bill to give the US postal service a $25
billion infusion and halt changes the Democrats said threatened the millions of
mail-in ballots, which is expected in November’s Presidential election.

The vote, which
garnered 257-150 support, largely along party lines in the Democratic-led chamber and was called as “another HOAX by the Democrats… without talking
about the Universal Mail-In Ballot Scam that they are trying to pull off,”
by President Donald Trump.

According to a report
in AFP, the bill is expected to die in the Republican-led Senate, with Senate
Majority Leader Mitch McConnell calling it a “partisan stunt.”

Americans are expected
to vote by mail in massive numbers due to the coronavirus pandemic, but Trump
has opposed more funding for the cash-strapped US Postal Service (USPS),
acknowledging the money would be used to help process ballots.

Trump, who is trailing
challenger Joe Biden in polls, also has repeatedly and baselessly linked
mail-in voting to election fraud.

Postmaster General
Louis DeJoy, a Republican fundraiser who Trump appointed to head the postal
service in May, has presided over the removal of mail collection boxes and
processing equipment.

He has also overseen a
cut in overtime pay for mail carriers, which a union leader told AFP has slowed
delivery times nationwide, and reshuffled senior management.

The postal service has
warned most states that it could not guarantee on-time delivery of mail-in
ballots.

USPS announced Tuesday
it would hold off on operational changes until after the November 3 election.
But Democrats were not mollified, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called
lawmakers back from summer recess to consider the issue.

“Congress needs
to take action now that will ensure our Postal Service can continue to deliver
for America through this pandemic,” House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer
said.

“It’s not a
partisan bill,” he said. “It’s a bill for America’s democracy.”

The US is home to the
world’s worst coronavirus outbreak and Americans are predicted to rely on
vote-by-mail in record numbers, with an estimated three-quarters of voters able
to do so this fall.