Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
House Democrats Push Bill To Provide $25 Billion To Postal Service
Politico: House To Vote On $25B Infusion For Postal Service Amid Trump Attacks
Speaker Nancy Pelosi finalized plans Monday to provide billions of dollars in funding to the flailing Postal Service as Democrats seek to prop up the agency ahead of the November election, even while senior Republicans decry the move as partisan and unnecessary. The House will vote Saturday on legislation that will deliver $25 billion to address funding shortfalls and block organizational changes at the Postal Service that Democrats say are politically motivated and threaten to jeopardize the presidential election by inhibiting mail-in voting. (Caygle, Ferris and Levine, 8/17)
NPR: Key Seniors Group Presses Postmaster General To Safeguard Voting By Mail
Just as the Democratic National Convention kicked off tonight, the AARP — the largest nonpartisan group advocating for Americans 50 and over — weighed in on the debate about the importance of voting by mail. The group is urging Postmaster General Louis DeJoy to suspend any changes to mail delivery operations. Nancy LeaMond, AARP executive vice president and chief advocacy and engagement officer, told DeJoy in a letter that her group “has become increasingly concerned that recent changes in mail processing operations may be compromising the health and safety of millions of older Americans and may unduly restrict the ability of all Americans to safely participate in the upcoming elections, whether they choose to vote from home or in-person.” (8/17)
The Washington Post: Trump Says Mail-In Voting Could Be ‘Catastrophic.’ Here’s How Other Countries Do It.
The novel coronavirus pandemic has made voting more complicated — and potentially dangerous. For many countries, remote voting, either by mail or online, could offer a solution. Some nations that have held elections during the pandemic, including Poland and South Korea, promoted mail-in voting. Ahead of the November presidential election, the Trump administration has done the opposite. (Taylor, 8/17)
Boston Globe: Experts Team Up To Outline Best Practices For Safe In-Person Voting
Mail-in balloting — and Republican President Donald Trump’s opposition to it — have taken center stage recently. But many Americans, for whatever reason, are likely to go to the polls in person Nov. 3 instead of casting their votes by mail. So experts from the Brennan Center for Law and Justice at New York University have teamed up with the Infectious Disease Society of America to issue recommendations for safe in-person voting during the coronavirus pandemic. (Finucane, 8/17)
In related news from Capitol Hill —
Politico: Senate Republicans To Introduce Smaller Covid Package That Includes Billions For Postal Service
Senate Republicans are planning to introduce a “skinny” coronavirus relief bill, amid an impasse in negotiations between the White House and top Democratic leaders. The latest GOP coronavirus relief bill is expected to include $300 in boosted weekly federal unemployment benefits until December 27, another round of money for the Paycheck Protection Program and an additional $10 billion for the U.S. Postal Service and liability protections. The proposal is also expected to include money for education and testing. (Levine, 8/17)
