WASHINGTON — The House, called back into special session by Speaker Nancy Pelosi, passed legislation Saturday to provide $25 billion to the U.S. Postal Service and prohibit any operational changes before November’s election.

The bill would also require the Postal Service to prioritize the delivery of all election-related mail, The New York Times reported.

The House vote passed by a 257-150 margin, with 26 Republicans joining 230 Democrats. One Independent voted against passage of the bill, along with 149 Republicans.

Nearly 180 million Americans are eligible to vote during the general election by mail, The Washington Post reported.

The bill is not expected to move through the Republican-controlled Senate, the newspaper reported. President Donald Trump has threatened to veto the bill as written, and Republican lawmakers have accused Democrats of “baseless conspiracy theories” about postal issues to undermine the president’s chances for reelection.

“Like the Russia hoax and impeachment sham, the Democrats have manufactured another scandal for political purposes,” Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.), the ranking Republican on the House Oversight and Reform Committee, said during debate on the House floor.

“This is not a partisan issue,” Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney, D-N.Y., and the lead author of the bill, said before Saturday’s vote. “It makes absolutely no sense to impose these kinds of dangerous cuts in the middle of a pandemic and just months before the elections in November.”

Earlier this week, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said that he would temporarily halt the removal of blue mailboxes and sorting machines, the Times reported. DeJoy also promised to stop changes to post office hours and mail delivery options until after the Nov. 3 election.

“His comments are one thing, his actions will be another. And that’s why we have this legislation,” Pelosi told reporters.

Cox Media Group