In late February, President Donald Trump announced he was thinking about having the Commerce Department take control of the United States Postal Service (USPS).
The USPS has operated as an independent entity within the federal government since 1970.
Trump appointed Postmaster General Louis DeJoy in 2020. DeJoy is a Republican donor and former logistics business owner, as reported by The Associated Press. He has weathered a global pandemic, a surge in mail-in election ballots, and cost and service cuts to curb lost revenue. In late February, DeJoy announced plans to leave the USPS so the Postal Service Board of Governors began looking for his successor.
“We want to have a post office that works well and doesn’t lose massive amounts of money. 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,” Trump said at the swearing-in ceremony of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
The USPS, a $78 billion a dollar agency, has “been just a tremendous loser for this country, tremendous amounts of money that they’ve lost,” Trump said.
The president of the United States appoints nine members to the USPS Board of Governors and they must be confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Former President Joe Biden appointed current Chair Amber F. McReynolds and Vice Chair Derek Kan. The board hires and fires the postmaster general. The board has three vacancies because the Senate did not vote on nominees from Biden.
On February 28, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine and U.S. Reps. Bobby Scott, Gerry Connolly, Don Beyer, Jennifer McClellan, Suhas Subramanyam and Eugene Vindman, all of Virginia, urged Trump to halt any proposal that would alter the USPS without congressional consultation and approval.
“We write to express our great concern regarding reports that you intend to dissolve the United States Postal Service’s (USPS) bipartisan Board of Governors and move the independent agency under the control of the Department of Commerce. The Postal Service plays a crucial role in keeping our communities, especially in our rural areas, connected to each other and to the wider world. From delivering prescription medications and household goods, to election ballots, paychecks, and critical bills, USPS continues to be an essential part of Americans’ everyday lives. However, press reports indicate you are planning to upend over 50 years of Congressionally-mandated independence at USPS with no clear strategy for continuing essential mail delivery services or achieving financial sustainability. We urge you to cease the advancement of any proposal that would alter the USPS without congressional consultation and approval,” the lawmakers wrote.
Since Congress passed the Postal Reorganization Act of 1970, USPS has operated as an independent agency run by a bipartisan Board of Governors. However, press reports suggest that Trump intends to sign an executive order to dissolve the Board and move the independent agency under the control of Lutnick. Trump confirmed the reports when he said he was considering a “form of a merger” for the Postal Service. The letter rejects the vague and unconstitutional plan.
“Throughout our nation’s history, the Postal Service has been an integral function of the U.S. government, particularly in rural areas. While 63 percent of post offices in rural areas do not generate enough revenue to cover their costs, Congress continues to ensure changes do not disadvantage rural areas because all Americans deserve the same mail delivery service regardless of where they live. Given your reported interest in privatizing the Postal Service, the universal service obligation that binds the Postal Service to deliver to all Americans could be scrapped for a plan that risks cutting off rural delivery and worsening service for all,” the lawmakers wrote.
The letter also references Virginia’s mail delivery issues, raising concerns that the president’s plans could upend recent improvements in mail service.
“Virginians are unfortunately familiar with the impacts of mail delivery falling short in the Commonwealth. In late 2023, USPS chose Richmond, Virginia as the first location to implement sweeping reforms under the ‘Delivering for America’ plan, including opening the Richmond Regional Processing and Distribution Center (RPDC). Shortly after, Virginia’s on-time service performance became the worst in the country. Last year, we met with Postmaster General Louis DeJoy on three occasions to push USPS to do everything in its power to improve mail service in Virginia. Throughout the year, we saw steady improvements in USPS’s mail service as we continued to press for increased transparency, greater engagement with the public, and a higher standard of service,” they wrote.
Some Virginia communities continue to experience mail service issues, but the lawmakers wrote that they are pleased with a USPS Inspector General report in January 2025 that found USPS had stabilized service at the Richmond RPDC, achieved most of the expected savings for fiscal year 2024, and returned statewide mail service to match nationwide averages.
“We fear such a significant upheaval of USPS’s governing structure and operations, as has been reported in the press, could reverse the improvement in mail service we have seen across Virginia.”
Lastly, the Virginia lawmakers noted dismantling or privatizing the Postal Service would jeopardize its critical facilitation of the nation’s vote by mail system.
“We are also disturbed by the notion that a USPS merger with the Department of Commerce will insert an intense partisan agenda into the distribution of millions of mail-in ballots as we approach election season. In the 2024 election, USPS processed 99.22 million ballots, with 99.88 percent of ballots delivered from voters to election officials within seven days and only one day on average to deliver ballots from voters to election officials. With over 2.3 million Virginians voting absentee in the 2024 general election, it is imperative that no changes are made to USPS that would undermine its ability to facilitate free and fair elections,” they wrote.
The lawmakers ended the letter by warning Trump that if he ignores federal law and fires the board’s members, he will be “met with fierce opposition. Furthermore, we request that you provide a full accounting of any changes that are being explored to alter USPS service, leadership and personnel.”
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Rebecca Barnabi
