U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar, Tina Smith, Colleagues Call on Postal Board of Governors to Immediately Reverse Changes Made by Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, Which Have Degraded and Delayed Postal Service Operations

WASHINGTON, D.C. [8/17/2020]—Today U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar, Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and colleagues sent a letter to the United States Postal Service (USPS) Board of Governors, calling on them to immediately use their authority to reverse changes to Postal Service operations and mail service delays put in place by Trump donor turned Postmaster General Louis DeJoy. Mr. DeJoy appears to be engaged in a deliberate effort, with the support of the President, to delay and degrade mail service and undermine the mission of the United States Postal Service.

Sens. Klobuchar and Smith said that fundamental changes to Postal Service operations made by DeJoy—including cutting back hours and denying overtime to mail clerks and carriers—have already reportedly delayed mail delivery by as much as a week. The Postal Service has warned 46 states and the District of Columbia that it “cannot guarantee all ballots cast by mail for the November election will arrive in time to be counted.” 

“It is critical that you act immediately to address efforts by President Trump and Mr. DeJoy to sabotage the Postal Service,” wrote the lawmakers. “You should immediately, using authorities granted under your bylaws to revoke powers given to the Postmaster General and make decisions on ‘[a]ll …[Postal Service] matters that the Board may consider appropriate,’ reverse any and all actions taken during Mr. DeJoy’s tenure that have harmed service. Should he not cooperate with these efforts, you have the authority, under the Postal Reorganization Act, ‘to remove the Postmaster General,’ with ‘a favorable vote of an absolute majority of the Governors in office.’”

You can read a copy of the letter here.

en_USEnglish