Here’s What to Watch as the Postmaster General Testifies Before Congress

WASHINGTON — Postmaster General Louis DeJoy on Friday will defend his first three months overseeing the Postal Service and denounce what he describes as a “false narrative” that has emerged about his tenure, telling lawmakers that long-planned changes to make the agency more efficient are not meant to complicate mail-in voting in the 2020 election.

In prepared remarks obtained by The New York Times ahead of Mr. DeJoy’s testimony before the Senate Homeland Security Committee, the postmaster general contends that a series of cost-cutting measures intended to help improve efficiency have been misconstrued “into accusations that we are degrading the service provided to election mail.”

Mr. DeJoy is at the center of a political firestorm as recent changes aimed at reducing the Postal Service’s costs — including reduced overtime and removal of mail sorting machines — have led to delays in mail delivery. That has fueled concerns about whether the post office will be able to handle what is expected to be a crush of mail-in ballots for the 2020 election in the midst of a pandemic.

“I recognize that it has become impossible to separate the necessary long-term reform efforts we will need to undertake from the broader political environment surrounding the election,” Mr. DeJoy plans to tell senators. “And I do not want to pursue any immediate efforts that might be utilized to tarnish the Postal Service brand, particularly as it relates to our role in the democratic process.”