ICYMI: Trump Could Put Control of USPS Under Commerce Department

This is a developing story.

Feb. 22

According the Associated Press, President Donald Trump said on Friday that he might put the control of the USPS under the Commerce Department.

“We want to have a post office that works well and doesn’t lose massive amounts of money,” Trump said. “We’re thinking about doing that. And it’ll be a form of a merger, but it’ll remain the Postal Service, and I think it’ll operate a lot better.”

On Saturday, the Democratic members of the House Oversight Committee urged Trump to abandon the plans, The Hill reports.

The panel wrote in a letter:

Your reported efforts to dismantle the Postal Service as an independent agency would directly undermine the affordability and reliability of the U.S. postal system. We urge you to abandon immediately any plans that would either privatize the Postal Service or undermine the independence of the Postal Service. — Ranking member Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) and the panel’s other members wrote.

The Hill points out that the USPS earns its revenue from the services it provides, rather than Congress. Those services mandate that the USPS must deliver to every mailbox in the U.S., which isn't the case if the USPS were to be privatized.

Congress prescribed a clear and critical mandate for the Postal Service: to deliver efficient, reliable, and universal service to all Americans. Your reported plans for the Postal Service would put at risk the timely, affordable delivery of life-saving medications, mail-in ballots, important financial documents, and letters from loved ones, especially in rural or less profitable areas that the private sector refuses to service. — Connolly continued.

Feb. 21

While The Washington Post reported on Feb. 20 that President Donald Trump is expected to initiate a takeover of the United States Postal Service (USPS) with an executive order some time this or early next week, although the White House appears to be denying the claims.

The Washington Post reported (following an emergency meeting held by the board overseeing the USPS) that the President is considering moving the USPS under his control, dissolving the leadership of the postal board, and absorbing the agency into his administration, according to six people familiar with the plans. An executive order could be announced soon, the Post reported.

The board is planning to fight Trump’s order, three of those people told The Washington Post. In an emergency meeting Thursday, the board retained outside counsel and gave instructions to sue the White House if the president were to remove members of the board or attempt to alter the agency’s independent status. —Jacob Bogage, The Washington Post

This news comes just days after the USPS announced that Postmaster General Louis DeJoy notified the Postal Service Board that it would need to start a succession plan.

In response to the reports, the Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs website posted a statement from U.S. Senator Gary Peters (D-MI):

If President Trump moves forward with this action to take over and privatize the Postal Service – not only will it be completely illegal – it will harm veterans, small business owners, rural communities, and all Americans who depend on the Postal Service for timely and reliable mail delivery. President Trump is clearly only interested in boosting private companies and leaving Americans without the critical lifeline the Postal Service provides. I call on the President to take the needs of everyday Americans seriously and reverse course.

Just last month, Editor Emeritus Mark Michelson asked if Trump would push for privatization amid USPS struggles. The idea was initially floated during Trump's first administration. Michelson wrote, "In 2018, the White House proposal indicated that 'a privatized Postal Service would have a substantially lower cost structure, be able to adapt to changing customer needs and make business decisions free from political interference and have access to private capital markets to fund operational improvements without burdening taxpayers. The private operation would be incentivized to innovate and improve services to Americans in every community.'"

However, there was bipartisan pushback at the time and the changes were never implemented.