{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://raskin.house.gov/2022/12/raskin-pressley-lynch-and-colleagues-urge-extension-of-covid-19-workers-compensation-benefits-for-postal-workers", "Raskin, Pressley, Lynch and Colleagues Urge Extension of COVID-19 Workers\u2019 Compensation Benefits for Postal Workers", "2022-12-16", "2022", "2022-12", "Democrat", "House", "MD", "Jamie Raskin", "R000606", "raskin.house.gov", "raskin", "https://raskin.house.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, DC \u2013 Today, Congressman Jamie Raskin (MD-08) in partnership with Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) and Congressman Stephen F. Lynch (MA-08) led their colleagues in calling for the extension of an American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) provision that made it easier for postal workers who contract COVID on the job to receive federal workers compensation. In a letter to Congressional appropriators, the lawmakers called for the provision\u2014which is set to expire next month\u2014to be extended as part of the omnibus government spending package.\n\n\u201cAs Congress continues to undertake efforts to advance health equity, it is imperative that postal employees receive nothing short of the robust support they deserve when recovering from illness,\u201d the lawmakers wrote in their letter. \u201cThis critical protection provides America\u2019s postal workers with the resources they need to safeguard their own health and safety and ensure the continuation of timely, reliable, and efficient mail services for the American people.\u201d\n\nPrior to the enactment of ARPA in March of 2021, postal and other federal workers were required to submit onerous proof that they contracted COVID-19 on the job and could not have otherwise contracted the illness in the course of their daily personal lives. The enactment of ARPA temporarily removed this burden, facilitating the ability of postal and other federal workers diagnosed with COVID-19 to receive coverage under the Federal Employees\u2019 Compensation Act (FECA). Specifically, the law established a presumption of FECA coverage for federal employees that received a positive COVID-19 diagnosis and recently carried out job duties requiring contact with members of the public, co-workers, or patients.\n\n\u201cThis immense and inequitable burden of proof resulted in invasive questioning and the denial of nearly half of all workers\u2019 compensation claims,\u201d the lawmakers continued. \u201cIn stark contrast, implementation of the [ARPA provision] has decreased denial rates for USPS employees to less than three percent.\u201d\n\nCOVID-19 cases nationwide continue to pose a great health risk for the 650,000+ postal clerks, mail handlers, letter carriers, and other postal workers on the frontlines, many of whom come from marginalized communities.\n\n\u201cWe would also underscore that the Postal Service is one of the largest employers of veterans\u2014with more than 100,000 employees having served in the military. The agency also retains a highly diverse workforce comprised of nearly 40 percent of Black and brown postal workers\u2014many representing vulnerable communities whose health disparities across COVID-19 cases, treatments, and deaths have been well-documented,\u201d the lawmakers continued.\n\nJoining Reps. Pressley, Lynch and Raskin in sending the letter are Reps. Steve Cohen, Gerry Connolly, Brian Higgins, Carolyn Maloney, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Jan Schakowsky, Mike Thompson, Paul Tonko, Lori Trahan, and Brenda Lawrence.\n\nThe letter has been endorsed by the American Postal Workers Union (APWU), the National Rural Letter Carriers\u2019 Association (NRLCA), and the National Postal Mail Handlers Union (NPMHU).\n\nFind a copy of the letter here.\n\nThroughout her time in Congress, Congresswoman Pressley has championed for federal resources to support the United States Postal Service and its employees.\n\nIn February 2021, in a House Oversight Committee hearing, Rep. Pressley discussed how postal banking would help the United States Postal Service (USPS) raise revenue while working to close the racial wealth gap.\n\nEarlier that month, she sent a letter to President Biden today urging him to remove Postmaster General Louis DeJoy and the entire United States Postal Service (USPS) Board of Governors, and appoint a diverse Board with the experience and skills needed to represent the public interest and restore the integrity of the USPS.\n\nIn August 2020, Congresswoman Pressley delivered remarks on the House floor in which she criticized the Trump Administration and Congressional Republicans for their attacks on the USPS, and shared stories of constituents from the Massachusetts 7th Congressional District who have been impacted by the operational changes imposed on the USPS by Postmaster General DeJoy.\n\nIn August 2020, Rep. Pressley slammed GOP gaslighting and uplifted Massachusetts voices in a floor speech to support the Delivering for America Act to save USPS.\n\nLater that month, in a House Oversight Committee hearing, she questioned DeJoy and USPS Board of Governors Chairman Robert Duncan about the harmful impact the recent policy changes at the USPS have had on the workforce, and about the troubling history of anti-union labor practices of Mr. DeJoy\u2019s former company, New Breed Logistics. In that hearing, she called on Mr. DeJoy to resign or be removed by the USPS Board of Governors immediately.\n\nIn May 2020, Reps. Pressley and Lynch penned an op-ed in WBUR\u2019s Cognoscenti urging Congress to take urgent action to support postal workers in the next COVID-19 relief package.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:32:05Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://raskin.house.gov/2022/12/raskin-pressley-lynch-and-colleagues-urge-extension-of-covid-19-workers-compensation-benefits-for-postal-workers"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.3939801137894392, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}