Virginia Democrat Donald McEachin is urging President Biden and the United States Postal Service Board of Governors to oust Postmaster General Louis DeJoy and install new USPS leadership to fill vacant seats on the Board of Governors.
The Trump administration had left vacant Democratic positions on the Board of Governors, while actively filling other open positions with Republican party loyalists, who helped install the former Trump ally Louis DeJoy as postmaster general.
“The Constitution empowers the federal government to provide a working postal system, but under current USPS leadership, the system is not working. The previous administration’s negligence must be urgently addressed before further harm is done, but the USPS cannot appropriately address the ongoing mail delivery crisis if leadership positions are left empty,” said McEachin, who represents the Fourth District in the U.S. House of Representatives.
“I respectfully urge the Biden administration to fill the three currently vacant Democratic seats on the Board of Governors as soon as possible.”
Today’s announcement follows nearly eight thousand new complaints received by McEachin in less than 48 hours from constituents across the Fourth District detailing issues with mail delays, missing mail and misdelivered mail.
“Even with the three vacant Board of Governors positions filled, however, serious questions still remain regarding the competency of the USPS’ current leadership,” McEachin said. “Since assuming office in June 2020, Postmaster General DeJoy has taken every possible step to dismantle and sabotage the USPS, steering the agency’s course towards failure. Last August, I called for DeJoy to resign due to his mismanagement and dereliction of duty. DeJoy has continued this trend of neglect by refusing to do the right thing and leave office of his own volition and as a result, I urge the Board of Governors to exercise their power to remove him from office.
DeJoy can only be removed by the Board of Governors, though the president may remove the sitting members of the Board of Governors, “only for cause.”
Should the Board of Governors fail to appoint a qualified and experienced replacement, McEachin urged Biden to exercise his authority to replace members of the Board of Governors.
“A non-functioning Postal Service is a non-starter,” McEachin said. “These calls-to-action are extraordinary, but the circumstances faced by my constituents and communities across the nation require extraordinary measures. The Postal Service is an indispensable American institution, and all actions, however bold, must be considered to preserve it.”
Full video of the press conference and copies of McEachin’s letters to President Biden and the Board of Governors can be found here.
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