Biden And The Postal Service: Why Conciliation Trumps Combat

 

Joe Biden and his likely incoming administration must make a basic decision about how they will deal with the large and financially troubled U.S. Postal Service (USPS).

Option one is to continue, even accelerate, House Democrats’ policy of belligerence toward Republican Postmaster General Louis DeJoy. Option two is to recognize the reality that DeJoy is likely to remain as Postmaster General for the next few years and that he is a potential ally for overdue holistic postal reforms. Conciliation is the practical alternative that best serves the American people.

USPS Is Insulated From The Winds Of Politics By Design

USPS is a unique organization: a 100 percent government agency that is designed to operate independently of political winds. It can do so in large part because its funding comes almost entirely from sales for postage and related delivery services.

That said, USPS must be responsive to the concerns of Congress. A series of recent Congressional hearings, especially by the U.S. House of Representatives Oversight and Reform Committee, placed additional pressure on USPS to deliver mail-in ballots in a timely manner, which USPS achieved.