Watch: Postmaster General DeJoy says he expects the Postal Service can handle election traffic surge

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy testified Monday before a Democrat-controlled House committee, defending his management of the U.S. Postal Service, amid concerns that his cost-cutting measures would prevent the agency from delivering mail-in ballots for the November presidential election.

The most intense moments in the hearing occurred when Democratic Rep. Jim Cooper questioned DeJoy's fundraising role in the 2016 Trump presidential campaign. 

"Did you pay back several of your top executives for contributing to President Trump's campaign by bonus-ing or rewarding them?" asked Cooper, of Tennessee. 

DeJoy, a business executive appointed by Trump, responded: "That's an outrageous claim sir, and I resent it. Actually, during the Trump campaign, I wasn't even working at my company anymore. .. I'm here to represent the postal service ... Am I the only one in this room that understands that we have a $10 billion a year loss?" continued DeJoy, visibly frustrated.

"Mr. DeJoy, is your back-up plan to be pardoned like Roger Stone?" asked Cooper to audible groans from around the room. 

DeJoy replied: "Pitiful. I have no comment, it's not worth my time."

Trump last month commuted a nearly four-year prison sentence for Stone, a former adviser, in connection with the Russia collusion probe. However, he did not pardon Stone.

Ohio Rep. Jim Jordon, a Republican on the committee, accused fellow Democrats has trying to portray the postal service as an agency is disarray and unable to count mail-in ballots in November "because they know on election day, President Trump is going to win, and they want to keep counting.

"This is one giant conspiracy from the Democrats," Jordon said.

North Carolina GOP Rep Virginia Foxx asked DeJoy whether he was attempting to limit unplanned overtime pay for U.S. postal workers, as critics have alleged.

"At this time, no ma'am, and no time since I've been here," DeJoy responded.

Foxx responded: "I want to applaud your approach to accountability."

When asked to identify some ways the postal service could run more efficiently, DeJoy said that legislative action would be required to get the USPS back on track.

"The post office itself is a library of (Office of Inspector General) reports identifying flawed practices and billions and billions and billions of dollars of costs ... that no one seems to pay attention to," DeJoy said.

As he did on Friday, DeJoy defended the proposed changes to the office he oversees, in addition to assuring the committee "and the American public" that post office is "fully capable and committed to delivering the nation's ballots securely and on time ... this sacred duty is my number one priority between now and Election Day." 

Also on Friday, DeJoy defended his proposed changes to the postal service during a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing.

Via video conference, he told senators that the post service was experiencing significant delays in part because of the coronavirus pandemic, but also due to ongoing financial issues.

“Without dramatic change, there is simply no end in sight, and we face an impending liquidity crisis that threatens our ability to deliver on our mission to the American public,” said DeJoy.

He defended his proposed changes to the agency which have over the past several weeks critics have said he implemented at the behest of Trump, is attempting to suppress mail-in voting for the upcoming election.

DeJoy has called the accusations “false and unfair.”

The House on Friday passed a $25 billion emergency funding bill for the postal service. Democratic leadership claim it is a desperately needed effort to thwart any attempt by Trump to obstruct the mail-in voting process for this fall’s election.

The bill will is not expected to pass in the GOP-led Senate. And Trump has vowed to veto the measure.