Biden Makes Big Move on US Postal Service

New board members could help oust DeJoy
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 25, 2021 6:52 AM CST
Biden Makes Big Move on US Postal Service
Postal carrier Josiah Morse heads out to deliver mail and packages, Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2021, in Portland, Maine.   (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

"Get used to me," Postmaster General Louis DeJoy told House lawmakers during a hearing Wednesday. They may not have to. President Biden, who can't fire DeJoy directly, has named candidates to fill three empty slots on the US Postal Service's nine-member board, which could give it enough votes to oust DeJoy if all three are confirmed by the Senate, reports the Washington Post. The six current members, including two Democrats, were appointed by Donald Trump. CBS reports that Biden's three nominees are former deputy postmaster general Ron Stroman and former general counsel of the American Postal Workers Union Anton Hajjar, both Democrats, and mail voting advocate Amber McReynolds, an independent.

DeJoy, a GOP fundraiser with no prior USPS experience, became postmaster general last year. During Wednesday's hearing, he was criticized over slowdowns in service but said they would continue. Rep. Carolyn Maloney, chair of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, praised Biden's move. "It is crystal clear that the Postal Service’s performance and its financial condition have deteriorated significantly, and new and better leadership is urgently needed," she said, per the Post. "I also commend the president for his continuing commitment to appoint individuals who represent the diversity of America." (The six current members are all white males.) Mark Dimondstein, president of the American Postal Workers Union, also praised the nominees, noting that to keep his job, DeJoy will "have to function in a way that he keeps the support of the board," the AP reports. (More US Postal Service stories.)

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