Retiring U.S. Rep. Will Hurd of Helotes was one of only 26 Republicans to cross the aisle and vote for a House bill to flow $25 billion to the U.S. Postal Service and temporarily halt changes that have slowed mail deliveries ahead of the election.
Hurd was also just one of two Texas Republicans to support the legislation, which passed Saturday. Michael McCaul of Austin was the other.
In a tweet, Hurd said USPS provides absentee ballots, prescriptions and more during the pandemic. “They are essential, and, like always, I will continue to support them,” he tweeted.
The bill would require USPS to return to delivery standards set at the beginning of this year and follow them until the pandemic is over or January 1 of next year, whichever arrives later.
In a statement, San Antonio-Austin U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, a sponsor of the legislation, thanked Republicans who crossed the aisle and admonished the rest for “following Trump in his desperate march to undermine democracy.”
“Today’s rejection by Trump’s Republican enablers makes clear their intent to sacrifice reliable postal service in order to impair voter participation,” Doggett said.
The GOP-controlled Senate is unlikely to take up the legislation, and President Donald Trump has threatened to veto the funding increase.
Democrat Gina Ortiz Jones and Republican Tony Gonzales are running to replace Hurd in November.
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This article appears in Aug 12-25, 2020.
