Maloney: COVID-19 Threatens the Postal Service
In a Monday night statement, House Oversight Committee Chair Carolyn Maloney (D-Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens) warned that the United States Postal Service (USPS) could collapse as soon as June due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Politico reported.
“Based on a number of briefings and warnings this week about a critical fall-off in mail across the country, it has become clear that the Postal Service will not survive the summer without immediate help from Congress and the White House,” said Maloney.
Since the crisis began, mail volume has dropped dramatically, and an intervention may be necessary to keep it afloat. Maloney explained that the House’s relief bill for the coronavirus allocates $25 billion to the USPS to pay off its $11 billion debt and as emergency funding.
Hoylman, Rosenthal, Call to Extend Child Victims Act
Earlier this week, State Senator Brad Hoylman (D-Chelsea, Midtown) and Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal (D-Upper West Side, Hell’s Kitchen) called to add an additional twelve months to the revival window created in the Child Victims Act (CVA).
Last August, the CVA gave all survivors of childhood abuse a one year window to pursue charges against their abusers regardless of when the abuse took place. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has made it harder to bring abusers to justice, as the civil courts which pursue these claims have slowed down amid reduced staff and operations.
“This is an extraordinary time for New York state, and circumstances around the budget are unusual to say the least, but we cannot lose sight of the fact that adult survivors of child sexual abuse will be further harmed by our legal system if we don’t move to extend the window,” Hoylman told the TimesUnion Tuesday.
Rosenthal Ensures Domestic Violence Survivors Can Still Get Help amid COVID-19
Council Member and Gender Equity Chair Helen Rosenthal (D-Central Park, Lincoln Square) told The Gotham Gazette Saturday night that options still exist for domestic violence victims during the COVID-19 emergency, despite the abundance of closures.
As Rosenthal pointed out, there are several nonprofit organizations, such as the Crimes Victim Treatment Center (CVTC), that are still providing services during the crisis. Above all else, Rosenthal wants all New Yorkers who are facing abuse to know that they can still seek help.
“I do think that the city should be putting out public service announcements getting that message across. I think that would be important,” Rosenthal told the Gazette.
