WASHINGTON — Congressmen Jared Golden (ME-02) and August Pfluger (TX-11) today introduced the bipartisan Postmaster General Reform Act, which would establish term limits for the United States Postal Service’s (USPS) postmaster general and require nominations to be confirmed by the Senate. Golden’s bill comes after he co-led a new bipartisan letter to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy criticizing the agency’s announcement that it will further slow mail delivery for rural communities.
“The Postal Service should be accountable to the people it serves,” Golden said. “Requiring congressional approval for the head of the agency is a basic yet necessary step to make the postmaster general more responsive and attentive to the communities who justifiably feel ignored by current USPS leadership.”
“As Americans across the country experience mail delays and difficulties, especially in rural areas, it is important to uphold standards of efficiency and attention to detail in our postal service,” Pfluger said. “By giving the President and Senate the power to appoint a postmaster general we are holding an incredibly important agency accountable.”
Currently, only the Postal Service Board of Governors has the power to appoint or fire the postmaster general, who may serve an unlimited term. The Board of Governors is composed of nine presidential appointees that must be confirmed by the Senate.
The Postmaster General Reform Act would move these authorities to the president and require the Senate to approve any postmaster general nominee. After the conclusion of a five year term, the Senate would have the ability to extend the postmaster general’s term to a second and final five year term.
A Senate version of the Postmaster General Reform Act is led by Senator Jon Ossoff (D-GA).
“We look forward to more oversight and control over the Postmaster General, as the current system is failing,” Scott Adams, president of the American Postal Workers Union Local 458 said.
Golden’s newest bipartisan letter to Postmaster DeJoy — signed by 20 House lawmakers — follows the Postal Service’s announcement that it will lengthen delivery times by at least 24 hours for communities further than 50 miles from a USPS processing center. Maine’s only processing centers are located in Scarborough and Hampden.
“While we understand the need for modernization and financial changes across the Postal Service, these changes cannot come at the expense of rural residents who rely on the USPS,” the lawmakers wrote. “Americans, particularly those living in rural areas depend on the Postal Service for medicine, food, paychecks and bills. For many families that we represent, a one-day delivery delay could mean late fees on a bill, a held-up paycheck creating financial stress and increased health risks awaiting critical medication. This is especially important for rural constituents who may not live near a hospital or doctor’s office.”
Golden has been a champion of holding the Postal Service accountable to Mainers throughout his time in Congress. Following his outreach to Postmaster General DeJoy earlier this summer,USPS signed a new lease for its West Paris facility, which had been closed for more than three years.USPS reopened its Etna facility earlier this year after pressure from Golden. Last month, USPS announced that it was postponing plans to consolidate the Eastern Maine Processing & Distribution Facility in Hampden after bipartisan efforts led by Golden and other members of Congress. His bipartisan Timely Mail Delivery and Postal Services Protection Act — which he introduced in April — would permanently block the process USPS uses to consolidate mail processing facilities across the country.
Text of the Postmaster General Reform Act can be found here. Golden’s letter can be found here,