With Postmaster General Louis DeJoy reportedly preparing to reveal plans for another round of service cuts and operational changes as early as this week, President Joe Biden is facing increasing requests from lawmakers, freighters and others to take urgent action to protect the Postal Service. further damage, paves the way for the removal of DeJoy and strengthens the agency’s finances for the near and distant future.
The Washington Post reported over the weekend that DeJoy – a Republican mega-donor to former President Donald Trump – will soon “aim to outline a new vision for the agency that includes more service cuts, higher and region-specific prices and lower delivery expectations “.
“We want a Board of Governors that fundamentally understands that it is not called United States Postal Business. It is not a for-profit business. It is here to serve the people.”
—Mark Dimondstein, American Postal Workers Union
Meanwhile, the Post he noted, “Democratic congressmen are lobbying President Biden to install new board members, creating a majority bloc that could topple DeJoy, a Trump supporter whose aggressive summer cost cut was pointed out by much of the performance decline.”
Unanimously appointed by the Trump-dominated Postal Service Board of Governors in May, despite his total lack of experience with the postal service, DeJoy wasted no time, imposing radical operational changes at the post office that resulted in steep drops in performance in the weeks following, during and after the November presidential election – leading to accusations of sabotage for political reasons by the country’s most popular government institution.
While DeJoy was forced to temporarily suspend some of his operational changes last year in the face of a nationwide uproar and numerous court injunctions, the postmaster now appears intent on moving forward with his plan to paralyze the agency – a plan that has Democratic lawmakers and postal workers calling for action by the Biden government.
Because Biden is prohibited by law from firing DeJoy directly, Congressional Democrats are asking the president to fire all acting postal governors – including those who publicly applauded the Postmaster General’s changes as they produced large packages of packages across the country. country and delayed delivery of prescription drugs and mail. on the ballots – and replace them with employees willing to remove the general postmaster and protect the agency.
“My solution starts at the top: dismiss the entire board that presided over the destruction of Trump and DeJoy from the USPS. Clean the house,” Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (DN.J.) tweeted Domigo.
At the end of last month, as Common dreams reported, Pascrell became the first Democratic congressman to ask Biden to remove the effective members of the Board of Governors, which currently consists of four Republicans and one Democrat – all nominated by Trump. According to federal law, the president has the authority to remove governors from the post office “for cause”.
“The refusal of board members to oppose the worst destruction ever inflicted on the Post Office was a betrayal of their duties and is undoubtedly a good cause for their dismissal,” argued Pascrell.
Days later, Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio.) Echoed Pascrell’s demand, accusing board members of complicity in the “unprecedented sabotage” of the courier service.
“The response from the USPS leadership to the unscrupulous delays we are experiencing with the mail is beyond unacceptable,” wrote Ryan in a January 29 letter to Biden. “We must do what is right with the American people, and we must do what is right with our postal workers and postman.”
Last week, USA todayThe editorial board of joined the growing chorus demanding that Biden remove the acting postal governors, pointing out that “in addition to hiring DeJoy, the Board of Governors is led by a former president of the Republican National Committee chosen by Trump.”
The USPS council is due to meet on Tuesday for the first time since Biden’s electoral victory. While the Post reported on Saturday, “DeJoy told postal industry officials that he plans to remain in office to implement a reorganization of the agency … The plan, parts of which were outlined for a Senate panel in August, includes geographic prices and delivery windows longer. He is entertaining renting properties from the postal service and offering non-direct mail services, such as private financial services. “
If not to fire the incumbent governors, Biden could instead propose to fill the remaining three seats on the postal council – a move that would give Democrats the majority and potentially the number of votes needed to oust DeJoy. The nominees for the postal council must be confirmed by the Senate.
In the interest of protecting the USPS from DeJoy and strengthening the post office as a public service, the president of the American Postal Workers Union (APWU), Mark Dimondstein, is asking Biden to make “bold appointments” to the Board of Governors.
“We want a Board of Governors that fundamentally understands that it is not called United States Postal Business,” Dimondstein told Associated Press on Sunday. “It is not a for-profit business. It is here to serve the people.”
Democratic lawmakers and the APWU are also demanding rapid approval of the USPS Fairness Act, legislation that would eliminate the burdensome mandate that requires the postal service to pre-finance pensioner benefits decades in advance. The House passed the bill last year, but the then Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Refused to allow the upper house to vote on the measure.
“Congress needs to pass the USPS Fairness Act again,” wrote Pascrell on Sunday. “We did it last year and McConnell blocked it for 333 days. We are going to decree again.”