Postal Service Attacks Come Fast in June
The USPS has been at the center of a firestorm of controversy over the past few weeks. News headlines have highlighted attacks on voting-by-mail, high profile senate hearings that threatened Postal privatization, financial worries, and an attempt to appoint corporate extremists to the very top of the Postal Service.
At first glance, these may seem like a series of different fights. But, in reality, they are part of an ongoing struggle between those who see the Postal Service as a public service to be expanded and strengthened in the name of community and democracy, and those who seek only profit and want to restrict and reduce.
USPS Board Nominees Raise Concerns
On June 17, members of the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee gathered to consider 13 nominees to a myriad of government agencies. Among them were four candidates for the position of USPS Governor. Two of the quartet were removed from the agenda at the last minute, but it still left the committee with 11 people to question over just two hours.
In response to a question on his support for privatization of the Postal Service, Jeffrey Brodsky said: “I don’t really have a view on whether or not privatizing it would make any sense or not.” He did, however, go on to highlight some of the shortcomings of privatization schemes, especially regarding rural delivery.
Committee Chairman, Rand Paul (R-KY), argued that the workforce at the Postal Service was the problem, arguing that public employees are “not as good because they don’t have the profit incentive.” The second nominee, William Gallo expressed his support for cuts to the Postal Service’s dedicated workforce. “Obviously the workforce, at over 600,000 people, is too high,” he claimed.
Eyebrows were raised as Brodsky warned that “we have to get together and talk about what the universal service obligation is and what it should be.” Soon after, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) pointed out the vital role that the Postal Service plays in rural areas. “It is absolutely vital to me that the Postal Service remain and continue its commitment to servicing all parts of the nation, including rural areas,” said the Missouri senator.
Paul to Steiner: Do Less!
Just six days later, the committee reconvened to question the Postmaster General, David Steiner, on the USPS’s business model. Among the recommendations from committee Chairman Paul were a hiring freeze, reducing delivery to four days a week with a $50 charge to receive mail on days five and six, an end to the universal service requirement to serve every household, and a corporate takeover of local services under the guise of “outsourcing.”
The Kentucky senator, who chairs the Senate’s committee of jurisdiction on the USPS, summed up his approach to the Postal Service as “you should do less business.”
Several senators asked questions about the Postmaster General’s decision to publish a draft rule implementing the March 31 White House Executive order on mail-in ballots.
The draft rule would upend the current USPS system to manage vote-by-mail. It would force states to hand over voter rolls to the Postal Service and to comply with strict standards on envelope labeling. If states do not pass over that personal identifying information, they would be banned from allowing any citizens to vote-by-mail. The information provided would be used and shared for “law enforcement” purposes.
Steiner attempted to deflect when questioned about the draft rule, claiming that it would merely implement a best practice known as “Kit 600”, where mail-in ballots have unique barcodes and envelopes. On further questioning, however, Steiner confirmed that states would not be allowed to vote-by-mail if they did not hand over voter-rolls.
Judges block attacks
The next day, however, a federal judge struck down the executive order. “The Constitution does not grant the President any specific powers over elections,” wrote US District Judge, Indira Talwani in her ruling.
While the executive order was struck down, the USPS draft rule to implement the order is still out for consultation and will remain so until July 2. In a submission to the consultation, American Postal Workers Union president, Jonathan Smith labeled it: “Unprincipled, unworkable and unlawful.”
“No amount of changes can correct its deficiencies and adoption of any part of the rule will crush mailers’ trust in the Postal Service and drive even more people from First Class Mail,” he continued.
The justification for the collection of voter data to share with law enforcement is, he pointed out, “nonsensical.” “In truth, the only law enforcement ends the Postal Service achieves with the proposed rule is creating a surveillance state for Americans who vote through the mail.”
The struggle continues
The June 25 court decision was good news for democracy campaigners and postal advocates. Four days later, more good news came from the Supreme Court, which ruled that states can count legally cast mail-in ballots that were mailed on or before election day but arrived after the date.
The fight is far from over, however. The Senate will vote in the coming weeks on at least two of the four nominees for the Board of Governors. If they are confirmed, those would be two votes at the top of the USPS with little clear commitment to the Postal Service’s public service mission. On the other hand, these skirmishes have brought public scrutiny of the Postal Service with an intensity not seen since 2020, when a broad public campaign forced policy changes and support for our public Postal Service.
We have won before and we can win again.