Budzinski Leads 159 Members in Letter to President Trump on USPS Privatization
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) led 159 members of Congress in a letter to President Trump expressing concern over his proposal to fire the United States Postal Service’s (USPS) Board of Governors and merge the Postal Service into the Department of Commerce.
The members write, “Any attempts to privatize the Postal Service would be a betrayal to the more than 640,000 postal employees who work tirelessly every day to ensure mail isdelivered to every corner of the country. It would also hurt American consumers and businesses who rely on the Postal Service daily for mail and package delivery. These changes would be especially devastating for rural Americans, where the potential elimination of the Postal Service’s universal service obligation would result in skyrocketing delivery costs for less populated regions of the country, where reliable service is most needed.”
Congresswoman Budzinski has been a staunch advocate of improved mail service, while opposing efforts toward privatization and proposals that would reduce service reliability and speed for rural communities. Earlier this month, Budzinski testified before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government about President Trump’s proposal to dissolve the USPS’s bipartisan Board of Governors and place the agency under the Department of Commerce. To watch her testimony, click HERE.
The letter to President Trump is supported by the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC), American Postal Workers Union (APWU), National Postal Mail Handlers Union(NPMHU), National Association of Postal Supervisors (NAPS), and the National Rural Letter Carriers’ Association (NRLCA).
“The United States Postal Service employs over 640,000 dedicated men and women, including over 50,000 Mail Handlers, and serves over 166 million American households and businesses. People in urban, rural, and suburban areas rely on the work we do to deliver packages and letters ranging from Social Security checks, necessary medications, government correspondence, packages, and mail from loved ones. Members of Congress need to stand up against any threat to this invaluable institution,” said Paul V. Hogrogian, President of the National Postal Mail Handlers Union.
“Attempts to privatize or absorb the independent Postal Service into another executive branch agency is an assault on a universal, accessible, and affordable national postal system. NAPS applauds congressional action to protect rural mail service, and service to postal-reliant communities and business throughout the United States,” said Chuck Mulidore, Executive Vice President of the National Association of Postal Supervisors.
“On behalf of the 130,000 members of the National Rural Letter Carriers’ Association, I want to thank Rep. Budzinski and the other members of Congress who cosigned this letter opposing the executive order, or any executive action, that dismisses the USPS Board of Governors and mergers the United States Postal Service with the Department of Commerce. These potential unilateral and unlawful actions are steps to take over the Postal Service and move towards privatization. The letter accurately states that Congress is the only authority to make legislative changes impacting the Postal Service. The Postal Service has bound this nation together for 250 years, and we must continue to let this American institution continue to serve the American people free from political interference as an independent agency,” said Don Maston, President of the National Rural Letter Carriers’ Association.
The full text of the letter is HERE and below:
The Honorable Donald J. Trump
President of the United States of America
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
President Trump:
We are writing to express our grave concern regarding reports that you are considering signing an executive order that dismisses the duly appointed United States Postal Service Board of Governors and initiates steps to absorb the United States Postal Service into the Department of Commerce. Any attempts to unilaterally fire Senate confirmed members of the Postal Service’s Board of Governors or undermine the longstanding independence of the United States Postal Service violates the Postal Reorganization Act of 1970 and the separation of powers spelled out in the United States Constitution. For this reason, we ask you to reverse course on any planned executive order surrounding the Postal Service immediately.
As you know, members of the United States Postal Service’s Board of Governors are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate for fixed terms. The President does not have the authority to unilaterally dismiss any member of the Board, without cause, before their term has expired. The Board of Governors works in a nonpartisan manner to provide oversight of the Postal Service’s leadership and appointing a new Postmaster General when there is a vacancy. Their work is essential to ensuring proper oversight of the Postal Service’s day-to-day operations and in preventing political influence in the selection of the Postmaster General – safeguarding public trust in the Postal Service’s independence.
In the Oval Office on February 21, you stated you were also considering “a form of a merger” of the Postal Service into the Department of Commerce. In 1970, Congress passed the Postal Reorganization Act, which removed the Postal Service from the President’s Cabinet specifically to protect it from exactly the type of political interference your administration is demonstrating. The law grants Congress – not the Executive Branch – the authority to make legislative changes affecting the Postal Service. Specifically, Section 208 of the Postal Reorganization Act of 1970 states: “Congress reserves the power to alter, amend, or repeal any or all of the sections of this title.” This provision makes clear that any potential executive action to consolidate the Postal Service into the Department of Commerce is unlawful and must not go forward.
In addition to your unlawful attempts to reorganize the Postal Service, we remain alarmed by your past comments regarding the privatization of the Postal Service. Any attempts to privatize the Postal Service would be a betrayal to the more than 640,000 postal employees who work tirelessly every day to ensure mail is delivered to every corner of the country. It would also hurt American consumers and businesses who rely on the Postal Service daily for mail and package delivery. These changes would be especially devastating for rural Americans, where the potential elimination of the Postal Service’s universal service obligation would result in skyrocketing delivery costs for less populated regions of the country, where reliable service is most needed. Privatizing the Postal Service would have real-world consequences for our constituents, pricing many of them out of access to this essential service that has been a critical part of our nation’s history since before its founding.
As Members of Congress, we demand that you halt any executive order that attempts to fire the Postal Service’s Board of Governors or attempts to merge the Postal Service into the Department of Commerce. We also ask for a commitment from your administration to refrain from any further actions to undermine the Postal Service’s critical role as an independent agency of the federal government.