Looks forward to improvement in services
Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-43) joined postal advocates, USPS employees, and supporters of the Postal Service in thanking President Biden for his nomination of two new members to the Postal Service Board of Governors, including the appointment of Daniel Tangherlini to replace former Board Chair, Ron Bloom.
“For over a decade, the Postal Service has struggled to operate efficiently in wake of the draconian pre-funding requirement implemented by the Bush Administration. The Postal Service and its workforce have continued to innovate and persevere in light of its oppressive debt and, with the appointment of Trump mega-donor Louis DeJoy to Postmaster General, the fate of the USPS unraveled,” said Waters, the chairwoman of the Financial Services Committee.
“I look forward to the swift consideration of these new members to the Postal Board and a restoration of confidence in the USPS workforce by its governing body. Since DeJoy’s appointment, I have held grave concerns with the operation of the United States Postal Service. The fault for the deterioration of the USPS’s service standards falls squarely at Dejoy’s feet, and the continued criminal investigations into his conduct and conflicts of interest are a stain on the history of one of our country’s most celebrated institutions. Service delays threaten the well-being, and even fundamental safety, of not only my constituents in California’s 43rd District, but Americans across the country.
“The removal of former Chair and DeJoy ally, Ron Bloom, from the Postal Board will allow the Governors to justly analyze why Postmaster DeJoy’s conduct, whether attributed to incompetence or malicious intent, has decimated the Postal Service and should not be tolerated any longer.”
Waters has remained a steadfast voice in the fight to relieve Postmaster General DeJoy of his duties at the helm of the Postal Service. Since his appointment in 2020, DeJoy has displayed a pattern of problematic and damaging behavior which has harmed the operations and confidence in the USPS. DeJoy’s dismantling efforts continued into 2021 when, in an unprecedented action, he reduced service standards, notifying Americans that delays for seniors of their vital medications, home administered rapid COVID-19 tests, and crucial resources for small businesses recovering from the pandemic, would all become indefinite.
“While the service delays during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and throughout 2020 are well-documented, the situation has not improved and Postmaster General DeJoy’s destructive 10-year plan for the USPS is to blame,” Waters said. “This disastrous plan significantly raises rates in parcel and mail delivery for consumers, while simultaneously slowing down delivery times to paces unseen since the 1970’s”
“I believe the Postal Board will undo much of the harm that has been caused by DeJoy. I have confidence that, with the nomination of Daniel Tangherlini, who previously served as administrator of the General Services Administration under President Obama, the Postal Board will have a renewed interest in the success of the Postal Service and its dedicated workforce. Moreover, I am extremely hopeful that this shift in the makeup of the Postal Board of Governors will result in the necessary removal of Postmaster DeJoy.”
“The Postal Service has proved pivotal to our nation’s progress in the centuries since, employing minorities and women at times when other industries turned them away, while the postal workforce was at the vanguard of the labor rights movement,” Waters said. “The Postal Service has performed to the highest standards throughout our nation’s history, providing a critical lifeline to communities everywhere. It must be protected.”
