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As Postal Director General Louis DeJoy prepared to unveil plans for another round of service cuts and operational changes as early as this week, President Joe Biden faces increasing calls from lawmakers, letter carriers and others to take urgent action to protect the US Postal Service. further damage, pave the way for DeJoy’s removal from office and shore up 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 – soon intends to “set a new vision for the agency, which includes more cuts in services, prices higher and region specific and lower delivery expectations “.
“We want a Board of Governors that basically understands that it’s not called the United States Postal Business. It’s not a for-profit business. It’s here to serve the people.”
—Mark Dimondstein, American Postal Workers Union
Meanwhile, the Publish noted, “Congressional Democrats are pressuring President Biden to install new board members, creating a majority bloc that could oust DeJoy, a Trump loyalist whose aggressive cost cuts over the summer was distinguished for much of the performance decline. “
Named unanimously by the Trump-dominated Postal Service Board of Governors in May despite his complete lack of experience with the Postal Service, DeJoy wasted no time in forcing sweeping operational changes to the mail agency which led to a sharp drop in performance in the coming weeks. of, during and after the presidential election in November – prompting accusations of politically motivated sabotage of the country’s most popular government institution.
While DeJoy was forced to temporarily halt some of his operational changes last year amid a nationwide outcry and numerous court injunctions, the Postmaster General now appears determined to push forward his plan to cripple the agency – a plan which has Democratic lawmakers and postal workers demanding action from the Biden administration.
Since the law prohibits Biden from directly sacking DeJoy, Congressional Democrats urge the president to terminate all serving governors – including those who publicly applauded the changes to the Postmaster General while they were producing large backlogs of packages across the country and slowing the delivery of prescription drugs and mail. in the ballots – and replace them with officials willing to dismiss the Postmaster General and protect the agency.
“My solution starts at the top: fire the entire board that presided over the destruction of the USPS by Trump and DeJoy. Clean house, ”Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (DN.J.) tweeted Sunday.
At the end of last month, like Common dreams reported, Pascrell became the first Congressional Democrat to call on Biden to remove sitting members of the Board of Governors, which currently consists of four Republicans and one Democrat – all appointed by Trump. Under federal law, the president has the power to remove governors from post “for cause”.
“The refusal of council members to oppose the worst destruction ever inflicted on the postal service was a betrayal of their duties and unquestionably constitutes a good cause for their removal,” argued Pascrell.
Days later, Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio.) Echoed Pascrell’s request, accusing board members of complicity in “unprecedented sabotage” of the Postal Service.
“The response from USPS management to the excessive delays we are experiencing with mail is completely unacceptable,” Ryan wrote in a Jan. 29 letter to Biden. “We must do good by the American people, and we must do good by our postmen and letter carriers.”
Last week, USA todayThe Editorial Board’s editorial board joined the growing chorus demanding that Biden remove incumbent postal governors, stressing that “beyond hiring DeJoy, the board of governors is headed by a former chairman of the Republican National Committee typed by Trump “.
The USPS board is expected to meet on Tuesday for the first time since Biden’s election victory. As the Publish reported on Saturday, “DeJoy told courier industry officials he intends to stay on to roll out a reorganization of the agency … The plan, parts of which were presented to a committee Senate in August, includes geographic pricing and longer delivery times, leasing properties from the postal service and offering non-postal services, such as private financial services. “
Unless he terminates the incumbent governors, Biden could instead move to fill the three remaining vacant positions on the Postal Council – a step that would give Democrats a majority and potentially the number of votes needed to oust DeJoy. Candidates for the Postal Commission must be confirmed by the Senate.
In the interest of protecting DeJoy’s USPS and strengthening the mail agency as a public service, American Postal Workers Union (APWU) President Mark Dimondstein urges Biden to make “bold appointments” to the board governors.
“We want a Board of Governors that basically understands that this is not called the United States Postal Business,” Dimondstein told the Associated press on Sunday. “It’s not a for-profit business. It’s there to serve people.”
Democratic lawmakers and the APWU are also demanding swift passage of the USPS Fairness Act, a law that would abolish the onerous mandate requiring the Postal Service to pre-fund retiree benefits decades in advance. The House passed the bill last year, but then Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) Refused to allow a vote on the measure in the Upper House.
“Congress must pass the USPS Fairness Act again,” Pascrell tweeted Sunday. “We did it last year and McConnell blocked it for 333 days. Let’s reactivate it.”
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