User:Jonathan with U.S. Postal Service/USPS During Trump administration draft

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During the Trump administration (current version)

As part of a June 2018 governmental reorganization plan, the

Donald Trump administration proposed turning USPS into "a private postal operator" which could save costs through measures like delivering mail fewer days per week, or delivering to central locations instead of door to door. There was strong bipartisan opposition to the idea in Congress.[1]

In April 2020, Congress approved a $10 billion loan from the Treasury to the post office. According to The Washington Post, officials under Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin suggested using the loan as leverage to give the Treasury Department more influence on USPS operations, including making them raise their charges for package deliveries, a change long sought by President Trump.[2]

In May 2020, in a controversial move, President Trump appointed Louis DeJoy, the first postmaster general in the last two decades who had no prior experience within the United States Postal Service.[3]

DeJoy—until 2014 CEO of

XPO Logistics, whose postal contracts expanded during DeJoy's postmaster general role—was a major donor and fundraiser for the Republican Party[5][6] (from 2017, a deputy finance chairman of the Republican National Committee, until appointed postmaster general, and later million-dollar donor to the 2020 Trump campaign while postmaster general).[5][6][7][8][9][10][11]

DeJoy immediately began taking measures to reduce costs, such as banning overtime and extra trips to deliver mail.[12][13][14] While DeJoy admitted that these measures were causing delays in mail delivery, he said they would eventually improve service.[15]

More than 600 high-speed mail sorting machines were scheduled to be dismantled and removed from postal facilities,[16] raising concerns that mailed ballots for the November 3 election might not reach election offices on time.[17]

Mail collection boxes were removed from the streets in many cities; after photos of boxes being removed were spread on social media, a postal service spokesman said they were being moved to higher traffic areas but that the removals would stop until after the election.[18]

The inspector general for the postal service opened an investigation into the recent changes.[19] On August 16 the House of Representatives was called back from its summer recess to consider a bill rolling back all of the changes.[20]

On August 18, 2020, after days of heavy criticism and the day after lawsuits against the Postal Service and DeJoy personally were filed in federal court by several individuals,[21] DeJoy announced that he would roll back all the changes until after the November election. He said he would reinstate overtime hours, roll back service reductions, and halt the removal of mail-sorting machines and collection boxes.[22] However, 95 percent of the mail sorting machines that were planned for removal had already been removed,[23] and according to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, DeJoy said he has no intention of replacing them or the mail collection boxes.[24]

On December 27, 2020, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 forgave the previous $10 billion loan.[25]

References

  1. ^ Davidson, Joe (September 24, 2018). "Congressional opposition to Trump's postal cuts, privatization plan grows". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on August 14, 2020. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
  2. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived
    from the original on August 20, 2020. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
  3. AP News. August 6, 2020. Archived
    from the original on August 6, 2020. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
  4. ^ "Postal contracts awarded to DeJoy-run company were questioned in 2001 Postal Service audit". NBC News. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved September 14, 2020.
  5. ^ a b Izaguirre, Anthony; Slodysko, Brian (August 20, 2020). "Embattled postal leader is Trump donor with deep GOP ties". Associated Press. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved August 21, 2020.
  6. ^ a b Armus, Teo (August 17, 2020). "As the House demands an interview with Postal Service chief Louis DeJoy, protesters picket his homes". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved August 29, 2020.
  7. ^ Desiderio, Andrew; Levine, Marianne; Lippman, Daniel (August 21, 2020). "DeJoy defends proposed changes amid Postal Service furor". Politico. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved August 21, 2020.
  8. ^ Estes, Adam Clark (August 7, 2020). "What's wrong with the mail". Vox. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
  9. ^ Pierce, Charles P. (August 10, 2020). "Destroying the Postal Service Is the Most Republican Thing Trump Has Ever Done". Esquire. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
  10. ^ Bernstein, Andrea; Marritz, Ilya (May 26, 2017). "The President, His Business Partner, and the Fundraiser". WNYC. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
  11. Triad Business Journal. Archived
    from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
  12. ^ Katz, Eric (July 20, 2020). "Looking to Cut Costs, New USPS Leader Takes Aim at Overtime and Late Trips". Government Executive. Archived from the original on July 27, 2020. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  13. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived
    from the original on August 16, 2020. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
  14. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived
    from the original on August 14, 2020. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
  15. ^ Gardner, Amy; Dawsey, Josh; Kane, Paul (August 13, 2020). "Trump opposes election aid for states and Postal Service bailout, threatening Nov. 3 vote". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on August 16, 2020. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
  16. ^ Gordon, Aaron (August 13, 2020). "The Post Office Is Deactivating Mail Sorting Machines Ahead of the Election". Vice. Archived from the original on August 16, 2020. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
  17. ^ Behrmann, Savannah (August 13, 2020). "What's going on with the post office? Here's what we know". USA Today. Archived from the original on August 15, 2020. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
  18. ^ Bogage, Jacob (August 14, 2020). "Postal Service will stop removing mailboxes". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on August 16, 2020. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
  19. ^ Segers, Grace (August 15, 2020). "U.S. Postal Service inspector general is investigating changes at post offices". CBS News. Archived from the original on August 15, 2020. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
  20. ^ Cochrane, Emily; Edmondson, Catie (August 16, 2020). "Pelosi to Recall House for Postal Service Vote as Democrats Press for DeJoy to Testify". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 17, 2020. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
  21. ^ Wallace, Danielle; Mears, Bill (August 17, 2020). "First in expected flood of lawsuits against USPS, Trump filed in NY federal court". Fox News. Archived from the original on August 17, 2020. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
  22. ^ Bogage, Jacob (August 18, 2020). "Postmaster general announces he is 'suspending' policies that were blamed for causing mail delays". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on August 18, 2020. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  23. ^ Gordon, Aaron (August 19, 2020). "DeJoy's USPS Policy Rollbacks Don't Appear to Change Much". VICE. Archived from the original on August 19, 2020. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
  24. ^ Pelosi, Nancy (August 19, 2020). "Earlier today, I spoke with Postmaster General DeJoy regarding his alleged pause in operational changes. During our conversation, he admitted he has no intention of replacing the sorting machines, blue mailboxes and other infrastructure that have been removed". Twitter. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
  25. The Associated Press. December 21, 2020. Archived
    from the original on November 20, 2021. Retrieved April 13, 2022.

During the Trump administration (revised version)

As part of a June 2018 governmental reorganization plan, the

Donald Trump administration proposed turning USPS into "a private postal operator" which could save costs through measures like delivering mail fewer days per week, or delivering to central locations instead of door to door. There was strong bipartisan opposition to the idea in Congress.[1]

In April 2020, Congress approved a $10 billion loan from the Treasury to the post office. According to The Washington Post, officials under Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin suggested using the loan as leverage to give the Treasury Department more influence on USPS operations, including making them raise their charges for package deliveries, a change long sought by President Trump.[2]

In May 2020, the bipartisan

XPO Logistics, which merged with New Breed in 2015.[6] He was also a Republican party fundraiser.[6][7]

Upon taking charge of the Postal Service, DeJoy began implementing measures to reduce costs, such as banning overtime and extra trips to deliver mail.[8][9][10] While DeJoy admitted that these measures were causing delays in mail delivery, he said they would eventually improve service.[11] The inspector general for the Postal Service opened an investigation into the effects of these measures.[12]

In the summer of 2020, the longstanding practice of removing mail collection boxes from low-traffic areas became a controversial issue, as photos of their removal spread on social media.[13][14] This practice had been ongoing for decades, due to the public's declining use of first-class mail.[15][14] More than 600 high-speed mail sorting machines were scheduled to be dismantled and removed from postal facilities,[16] raising concerns that mailed ballots for the November 3 election might not reach election offices on time.[17]

On August 16, 2020, the House of Representatives was called back from its summer recess to consider a bill rolling back USPS measures such as the decommissioning of sorting machines and ending of overtime pay.[18]

On August 18, 2020, after days of heavy criticism and the day after lawsuits against the Postal Service and DeJoy personally were filed in federal court by several individuals,[19] DeJoy announced that he would roll back all the changes until after the November election. He said he would reinstate overtime hours, roll back service reductions, and halt the removal of mail-sorting machines and collection boxes.[20] However, 95 percent of the mail sorting machines that were planned for removal had already been removed,[21] and according to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, DeJoy said he had no intention of replacing them or the mail collection boxes.[22]

On December 27, 2020, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 forgave the previous $10 billion loan.[23]

References

  1. ^ Davidson, Joe (September 24, 2018). "Congressional opposition to Trump's postal cuts, privatization plan grows". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on August 14, 2020. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
  2. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived
    from the original on August 20, 2020. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
  3. ^ "Board of Governors Announces Selection of Louis DeJoy to Serve as Nation's 75th Postmaster General". United States Postal Service. May 6, 2020. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved May 12, 2020.
  4. ^ Sherman, Donald (July 19, 2020). "Trump's new postmaster general could corrupt a key institution ahead of Election Day". NBC News. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
  5. AP News. August 6, 2020. Archived
    from the original on August 6, 2020. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
  6. ^ a b "Postal contracts awarded to DeJoy-run company were questioned in 2001 Postal Service audit". NBC News. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved September 14, 2020.
  7. ^ Bernstein, Andrea; Marritz, Ilya (May 26, 2017). "The President, His Business Partner, and the Fundraiser". WNYC. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
  8. ^ Katz, Eric (July 20, 2020). "Looking to Cut Costs, New USPS Leader Takes Aim at Overtime and Late Trips". Government Executive. Archived from the original on July 27, 2020. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  9. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived
    from the original on August 16, 2020. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
  10. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived
    from the original on August 14, 2020. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
  11. ^ Gardner, Amy; Dawsey, Josh; Kane, Paul (August 13, 2020). "Trump opposes election aid for states and Postal Service bailout, threatening Nov. 3 vote". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on August 16, 2020. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
  12. ^ Segers, Grace (August 15, 2020). "U.S. Postal Service inspector general is investigating changes at post offices". CBS News. Archived from the original on August 15, 2020. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
  13. ^ Bogage, Jacob (August 14, 2020). "Postal Service will stop removing mailboxes". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on August 16, 2020. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
  14. ^ a b Cortelessa, Eric (March 16, 2023). "Louis DeJoy's Surprising Second Act". Time Magazine. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
  15. ^ Bogage, Jacob (August 14, 2020). "Postal Service will stop removing mailboxes". Washington Post. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  16. ^ Gordon, Aaron (August 13, 2020). "The Post Office Is Deactivating Mail Sorting Machines Ahead of the Election". Vice. Archived from the original on August 16, 2020. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
  17. ^ Behrmann, Savannah (August 13, 2020). "What's going on with the post office? Here's what we know". USA Today. Archived from the original on August 15, 2020. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
  18. ^ Cochrane, Emily; Edmondson, Catie (August 16, 2020). "Pelosi to Recall House for Postal Service Vote as Democrats Press for DeJoy to Testify". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 17, 2020. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
  19. ^ Wallace, Danielle; Mears, Bill (August 17, 2020). "First in expected flood of lawsuits against USPS, Trump filed in NY federal court". Fox News. Archived from the original on August 17, 2020. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
  20. ^ Bogage, Jacob (August 18, 2020). "Postmaster general announces he is 'suspending' policies that were blamed for causing mail delays". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on August 18, 2020. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  21. ^ Gordon, Aaron (August 19, 2020). "DeJoy's USPS Policy Rollbacks Don't Appear to Change Much". VICE. Archived from the original on August 19, 2020. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
  22. ^ Pelosi, Nancy (August 19, 2020). "Earlier today, I spoke with Postmaster General DeJoy regarding his alleged pause in operational changes. During our conversation, he admitted he has no intention of replacing the sorting machines, blue mailboxes and other infrastructure that have been removed". Twitter. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
  23. The Associated Press. December 21, 2020. Archived
    from the original on November 20, 2021. Retrieved April 13, 2022.
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