Washington, D.C. (Sept. 17, 2020)—Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney, the Chairwoman of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, issued this statement following the Committee’s passage of H.R. 8109, the Nonpartisan Postmaster General Act:
“The faith of the American public in the Postal Service is paramount, particularly in a year when hundreds of millions of ballots will be cast by mail. That is why it is so critical that the Postal Service remain free from partisan politics. While federal employees should be free to engage in political activity in their personal time if they choose, brazen political engagement by the leadership of independent agencies is inappropriate and damaging to our democratic institutions.
“We have a choice: we can continue to allow the President to turn the Postal Service into a partisan football—and watch the faith of the public in this critical agency vanish—or we can work together to ensure that no Administration or political party can unduly influence the actions of this treasured American institution. I am proud that we made the right choice.”
The Nonpartisan Postmaster General Act would designate the Postal Service Board of Governors, the Postmaster General, and the Deputy Postmaster General as further restricted employees under the Hatch Act, which would prevent them from holding any political position while in office – ensuring that these positions are filled by qualified experts rather than political operatives.
Chairwoman Maloney introduced the Nonpartisan Postmaster General Act in response to President Trump’s politicization of the U.S. Postal Service.
Postmaster General DeJoy’s questionable selection to lead the U.S. Postal Service and possible conflicts of interest were recently highlighted in a Washington Post story that published reports from five former employees that they were encouraged to donate or attend GOP fundraisers and would be reimbursed for their contributions.
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