BISMARCK, ND — As news broke that United States Postal Service sorting machines in Fargo, Grand Forks, and Bismarck were slated for removal, Rep. Kelly Armstrong voted against a bipartisan bill to support USPS and halt the mail slow-down felt nationwide.

Armstrong has both admitted the systemic problems at USPS and brushed off his constituents’ concerns over the removal of sorting machines, elimination of overtime, and other changes causing a mail slow-down. The Postmaster General is a GOP mega donor, and the president has specifically targeted USPS because of mail-in voting, without recognizing it as a necessity for people to receive life-sustaining prescription medication and lifeline for businesses, especially in rural North Dakota.

The Democratic-NPL Party Communications Director Alex Rohr said:

“Despite Rep. Armstrong’s finger-pointing speech before he voted against the bipartisan bill supporting USPS, the Post Office can and will deliver votes from members of both parties this fall. The bill would officially halt the planned removal of mail sorting machines, including the three in Fargo, Grand Forks, and Bismarck, to ensure North Dakotans have access to mail-in voting as an option. USPS shouldn’t be partisan. COVID-19 relief shouldn’t be partisan. But politicians like Rep. Armstrong are refusing to work collaboratively to solve real problems.

We urge voters to request their ballots now, make a plan, and to cast their vote for Zach Raknerud for Congress who won’t let partisanship get in the way of representing you.”

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BISMARCK, ND —North Dakota is one of the states that received a “Heightened Warning” for mail-in ballot delays from the United States Postal Service, according to recent news from The Washington Post. That warning means delays are expected to a degree that could disenfranchise voters in North Dakota. The 33 of 53 counties that relied on mail-in voting before the pandemic were primarily rural. The House is returning to Washington to investigate the slow-down influenced by the GOP mega-donor who was named Postmaster General. 

The president has said he refuses to compromise on COVID-19 relief if it includes support for the Post Office because he doesn’t want to increase mail-in voting, a right he takes advantage of himself. When asked by a reporter about the president’s confessed attempt to sabotage the Postal Service to suppress mail-in votes, North Dakota’s delegation defended the president and pointed fingers. Rep. Armstrong said he is on a relevant committee, but that they have done nothing to address long-standing needs facing USPS. 

The Democratic-NPL Party Chairwoman Kylie Oversen said:

“The U.S. Postal Service is vital to hard-working Americans who rely on it for so many critical services, including voting by mail. If we’re already being warned about mail-in delays for the November 3 election, what does that mean for our neighbors who rely on USPS for life-sustaining prescription drugs and to pay their bills on time right now?

USPS is a hallmark of America, and an essential government service. We need to defend it and fully fund it. Full stop. I’m calling on Sen. Kevin Cramer, Sen. John Hoeven, and Rep. Kelly Armstrong to step the heck up already and to stop playing the blame game. What are you doing to ensure your neighbors back home can continue to rely on USPS? What are you doing to ensure all Americans can cast their ballots, regardless of who they are voting for?”

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BISMARCK, ND — This weekend, the president issued an executive action that would defer the payroll tax that funds both Social Security and Medicare. The tax will still be owed, and both programs are at risk as the president vowed to make the cuts permanent. The order was part of a set of actions that fell woefully short of the relief package the GOP could have achieved by compromising across the aisle.

The House passed the $3.4 trillion HEROES Act almost three months ago. The Senate proposed the $1 trillion HEALS Act days before important portions of the CARES Act were scheduled to run out, including the $600 unemployment benefit. Last week, House Democrats offered to meet in the middle. The president left D.C., and his advisors walked away from the negotiating table. 

Dem-NPL Communications Director Alex Rohr said:

‘“The president’s reckless plan puts Social Security and Medicare, which thousands of North Dakotans rely on, at serious risk during a national crisis. His promise of permanent cuts would break the most revered compact between the U.S. government and its citizens, who have paid into these programs for decades. Sen. Cramer spoke in favor of cutting Social Security, but we’re not hearing anything from Rep. Armstrong. Since he apparently doesn’t want the job, we need to elect Zach Raknerud who will fight for North Dakotans, young and old, to have access to healthcare and benefits they’ve already paid for.”

Rohr continued:            

“The president is unilaterally cutting unemployment benefits for people out of work through no fault of their own and passing costs onto the state of North Dakota. This unfunded mandate wouldn’t be happening if Republicans in Congress had done their homework and compromised. This nation is in a serious economic and public health crisis. Our leaders need to start acting like it.”

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BISMARCK, ND — Sen. Kevin Cramer insulted North Dakotans and other voters who want to exercise their right to vote by mail, which was widely available in North Dakota even before the pandemic when 33 of 53 North Dakota counties offered mail-in voting. The June primary, entirely vote by mail, saw a significantly higher than average primary turnout, according to Republican Secretary of State Al Jaeger who said of the primary “it was successful and it was secure.” Cramer said recently he has voted by mail.

Meanwhile, Cramer and Washington Republicans are weakening the United States Postal Service as the pandemic causes an increase in demand. Unnecessary cuts made by the new postmaster, a Republican appointee and a large campaign donor, have led to mail delays in larger cities that may affect North Dakota as the problem worsens. A Bismarck Tribune editorial “believes mail-in voting is the future of elections,” but that requires a robust Postal Service to get ballots out in time. The Post Office is an incredibly popular institution and favored by 91% of the United States population.

Dem-NPL Communications Director Alex Rohr said:

“Sen. Cramer thinks voting by mail is okay for him, but not everyone else? Instead of dismissing a right thousands of North Dakotans routinely exercise, he should be making sure vote by mail continues to be accessible by bolstering the U.S. Postal Service. The Post Office is an essential government service, necessary lifeline for rural North Dakotans, and an especially important resource during the pandemic.”

Cramer also made unsubstantiated claims about COVID-19 reporting. Recently, Forum News reported that North Dakota did not meet our own criteria for a green rating.

Rohr continued:

“North Dakota businesses and their workers as well as educators, students, and their families are relying on our leaders to give them the best information available, so they can make the best decisions for their communities and families. By spreading false information, Sen. Cramer is making an incredibly challenging situation even more difficult and betraying the public trust.”

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BISMARCK, ND — Today, the six-member Emergency Commission voted to spend the last of North Dakota’s $1.25 billion in federal CARES Act money intended for COVID-19 relief. The small group allocated the allotment without any public input or broad legislative input. The result leaves out important and popular initiatives that would support workers, families, and the people most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The vote today included some progress on food access funding called for by a working group and Dem-NPL legislators, but failed to include an Emergency Paid Leave Fund that would serve workers, families, and small businesses. The Legislative Budget Section, which leaves 14 districts or roughly 200,000 people unrepresented in the process, will take an up or down vote next week.

Sen. Kathy Hogan, a member of a food access work group that proposed a $53 million plan for emergency and sustainable food programs, said:

“We are pleased that we have had an opportunity to present important proposals that address food access and to see money for refrigeration for food banks, expanded online SNAP purchasing, and the expansion for FEMA and CARES Act dollars for shelf-sustainable food at Great Plains Food Banks included in the Department of Agriculture funding. But we are disappointed that the administration hasn’t done more as emergency food aid from Washington has stopped. Today’s funding is a beginning, but only a beginning.”

Rep. Karla Rose Hanson, who called for CARES Act money to be used for an Emergency Paid Leave Fund to benefit workers, families, and small business, said:

“It’s disappointing to see Gov. Burgum fail to seriously consider Emergency Paid Leave for North Dakota workers. This proposal is good for public health, good for families, and good for businesses. People who are sick or exposed to COVID-19 are asked to stay home, but many have to prioritize their paycheck so they still go to work. Paid leave would help businesses avoid outbreaks and keep their doors open, and it would help control the spread of the virus in our state.”

House Minority Leader Josh Boschee said: 

“Without a formal process, we sought to create public debate about important issues workers and families are facing, and there are certainly portions of this budget that will benefit many North Dakotans. But because most of our Republican colleagues abdicated their legislative authority to the governor’s office, the process, and the resulting recovery plan is flawed. We cannot leave out 14 districts and more than 200,000 people and expect to have a recovery plan that works for all North Dakotans.”

Senate Minority Leader Joan Heckaman said:

“The budget included important contributions for cities and counties whose budgets are being strained by the pandemic. But there should have been a formal public process that gave every community a seat at the table, so we can make sure tax dollars are spent fairly across the state.”

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