20 National Faith Leaders Sign Letter Condemning the Trump Administration’s Sabotage of the USPS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 27, 2020
MEDIA CONTACT
Michelle Nealy, mnealy@faithinpubliclife.org, (202) 735-7123
Austin Schuler, aschuler@faithinpubliclife.org, (540) 280-3393
20 National Faith Leaders Sign Letter Condemning the Trump Administration’s Sabotage of the USPS
Washington, D.C.– The Trump administration continues to attempt voter suppression by intentionally slowing postal services and creating barriers to sending mail. In response, 20 national faith leaders have released a letter urging Congress to protect their constituents and our democracy immediately by providing funding and oversight for the United States Postal Service.
The letter to Congress states, “Congressional funding and oversight of the USPS are paramount for the preservation of our democracy. Any actions that slow down the mail during a pandemic harm voters and amount to voter suppression — this includes failure to provide critical emergency funding. Our faiths value human dignity and equal treatment. Rooted in these principles, we call for a USPS that serves everyone, protects our democracy, and enables our communities to flourish.”
To see the letter and full list of signers, click here.
Prominent signers include: Rev. Jennifer Butler, CEO, Faith in Public Life; Rabbi Jonah Dov Pesner, Director, Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism; Dr. Barbara Williams Skinner, CEO, Skinner Leadership Institute; Sr. Simone Campbell, SSS; Executive Director, NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice; Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis, Senior Minister, Middle Collegiate Church; Valarie Kaur, Director, Revolutionary Love Project, and Sikh Activist; Lisa Sharon Harper, Founder and President, FreedomRoad.us
Rev. Jennifer Butler, CEO, Faith in Public Life:
“My core commitment as a Christian is to love God and love my neighbor. This commitment drives me to defend USPS because the USPS serves me and my neighbor – including so many who desperately need reliable mail service. More than this, vote by mail is essential for our democracy, especially in the middle of a pandemic. Congress must provide funding and oversight to ensure that the USPS is equipped and empowered to do its job.”
Sr. Simone Campbell, SSS, Executive Director of NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice:
“While President Trump and cronies are scheming to sabotage the postal service and stop Americans from voting, the truth is senior citizens are suffering now! Across the country they are stuck waiting to get their prescriptions delivered. For every American who relies on the postal service to survive, Congress must step in to provide USPS with the funding it needs and oversight over an administration out of control. That is the faithful and patriotic way forward.”
Rev. Traci Blackmon, Associate General Minister of Justice & Local Church Ministries for The United Church of Christ:
“The preservation of the United States Postal Service is about helping secure access to democracy during an election season among the ravaging effects of a pandemic not yet subdued. And it is about so much more. In this challenging political climate, it is also about the constitutional preservation of a democratic process that should never be weaponized against any of the people it serves. Let the people vote.
Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia A. Thompson, Associate General Minister for Wider Church Ministries and Operations Co-Executive for Global Ministries:
“The USPS remains an integral part of life for many in the midst of increasing use of technology for communication needs. A reliable postal system is needed for some of our most vulnerable populations for whom direct deposit, electronic payments and technology driven platforms are not accessible. We are in a particular reality where we must rely on the USPS to provide the level of services needed to preserve the democracy that underpins this country. The egregious attacks on the USPS by this administration threaten the health and wellbeing of this nation and its citizens.
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Faith in Public Life is a national movement of clergy and faith leaders united in the prophetic pursuit of justice, equality and the common good. Together, we are leading the fight to advance just policies at the state and federal level. Our network of 50,000 leaders engage in bold moral action that affirms our values and the human dignity of all.