‘Fire this corrupt man’: USPS chief Louis DeJoy unveils mail rollbacks as Democrats demand his removal

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy has unveiled some of the sharpest cuts in service and largest price hikes to the nation’s mail service in decades, as the chief of the US Postal Service faces growing calls to resign while President Joe Biden is pressured to replace the governing board that can fire him.

Mr DeJoy’s 10-year “Delivering for America” plan – coming off a year plagued by service cuts across the agency despite a surge in vote-by-mail efforts during 2020 elections and a pandemic that saw Americans relying on mail for critical deliveries – proposes longer first-class mail delivery, shorter office hours and higher postage prices.

The agency is facing more than $188 billion in liabilities. Mr DeJoy told members of Congress in February that he anticipates the USPS losing as much as $160 billion over the next decade.

In a statement on Tuesday, Mr DeJoy said the plan is a “long overdue” effort towards “growth and investments, as well as targeted cost reductions and other strategies that will enable us to operate in a precise and efficient manner to meet future challenges, as we put the Postal Service on a path for financial sustainability and service excellence.”

Mr DeJoy – a top GOP donor appointed by Donald Trump and confirmed to lead the agency last year – has faced routine criticism since his appointment last June for overseeing service cuts and delivery issues in an unprecedented election year during the coronavirus pandemic.

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In early February, according to the most recent delivery statistics, the agency delivered 79.9 per cent of first-class mail items on time. At the end of December, during the Christmas season, that rate was 63.9 per cent. The agency aims for at least 96 per cent.

Under the new plan, the agency says it plans to “meet or exceed 95 per cent on-time delivery across mail and shipping product classes.”

In a scathing letter to the president on Thursday, House Democrats accused the board of remaining “silent in the face of catastrophic and unacceptable failures” throughout the public health crisis and 2020 presidential election, during which Mr Trump “blatantly misused” the agency as part of an “unsuccessful gambit to influence a presidential election” as he undermined vote-by-mail efforts for months, the lawmakers wrote.

“Because of their lax oversight, many families struggling through the pandemic still await delivery of their stimulus checks, credit card statements, or event holiday cards,” the lawmakers wrote.

In a statement on Tuesday, Senator Gary Peters said he is “concerned that several of the initiatives in this plan will harm service for folks across the country who rely on the Postal Service for prescription drugs, financial documents, running their small businesses, and more.”

“Cuts to service standards for first-class mail, limiting hours at local post offices, and making it more difficult for people to access postal products would adversely impact USPS customers across the nation, including in rural and underserved communities,” he said.

American Postal Worker Union president Mike Dimondstein said that “the plan contains some positive attributes but also includes proposals that should be of concern to postal workers and customers.”

“Any proposals that would either slow the mail, reduce access to post offices, or further pursue the failed strategy of plant consolidation will need to be addressed,” he said.

On 9 February, Ron Bloom – a former Obama administration official – replaced former Republican National Committee chair Robert “Mike” Duncan as the chair of the USPS Board of Governors, signalling changes in leadership under Mr Biden’s administration. The president has nominated three people to fill four current vacancies on the board, which would hold a Democratic majority, if confirmed in the Senate.

The board has authority to remove the postmaster general.

In a statement on Tuesday, Mr Bloom said he supports the 10-year plans laid out by Mr DeJoy. He said that the board had “challenged postal management to devise a plan that was firmly rooted in our public service mission to bind the nation together” and “revitalize this American treasure”.

“The plan will achieve service excellence, adapt the Postal Service to the evolving needs of the American people and address our obligation for financial sustainability,” he said.

US Rep Bill Pascrell, who joined 50 lawmakers calling for the president to replace the entire board and remove Mr DeJoy, said to “fire the entire Post Office board. Then fire this corrupt man before he destroys the entire USPS for good.”

“Louis DeJoy is trying to destroy USPS and he will succeed if he isn’t tossed out,” he said.

“He really needs to be fired immediately,” said Robert Cruickshank, campaign director at advocacy group Demand Progress. “The Senate must not delay in confirming the postal board of governors nominees.”

Mr DeJoy has not indicated he’s ready to leave his post. He has repeatedly apologised to members of Congress for mail delays and service cuts, but he told lawmakers last month to “get used to me.”