WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Rep. Kweisi Mfume, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Government Operations, and Rep. Gerald E. Connolly, Ranking Member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, issued a joint statement following the announcement of David Steiner, a FedEx board member and former Waste Management CEO, as the next Postmaster General of the United States by the U.S. Postal Board of Governors:
“The American people deserve and expect an independent, fair, and accessible Postal Service that operates without prejudice or political influence. It is our sincere hope that as Postmaster General, Mr. Steiner will put the interests of the American people and the U.S. Postal Service ahead of any whims or demands of an Administration that has failed to respect the independence of this trusted institution and has instead worked to undermine and privatize America’s mail service. The Oversight Committee will be keeping a very close eye on the actions of the new Postmaster, especially considering DOGE’s infiltration of the agency, and it is our hope that Mr. Steiner will commit to a productive and collaborative relationship with Congress,” said the lawmakers.
Ranking Members Mfume and Connolly are leading Congressional oversight and investigations into the Trump Administration’s relentless attacks on the U.S. Postal Service and DOGE’s infiltration of the agency:
- On March 31, Ranking Members Mfume and Connolly sent a letter to Amber F. McReynolds, Chair of the United States Postal Service’s Board of Governors (the Governors), escalating Congress’s concerns that DOGE is attempting to actively undermine the stability and integrity of the Postal Service.
- On March 18, Ranking Member Connolly sent a letter to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy demanding a copy of the agreement the Postmaster General signed with DOGE, allowing Elon Musk to infiltrate the independent U.S. Postal Service, gain access to its data and systems, and make drastic cuts to the service.
- On March 17, in response to the agreement between Postal Service and DOGE, Rep. Kweisi Mfume, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Government Operations, Ranking Member Connolly, and Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Health Care and Financial Services led Committee Democrats in sending a letter to Chairman James Comer demanding an immediate public hearing on the Trump Administration and DOGE’s plans for the Postal Service.
- Later that day, Ranking Member Connolly issued a statement after Postmaster General DeJoy sent a letter to Congress trying to explain why he entered the Postal Service into an agreement with the General Services Administration and DOGE representatives.
- On March 13, Ranking Member Connolly released a statement after Postmaster General Louis DeJoy sent a letter to Congress admitting he “signed an agreement with the General Services Administration and DOGE representatives” and is allowing Elon Musk to infiltrate the U.S. Postal Service. DeJoy’s letter suggested alarming actions for DOGE to pursue that would easily lead to the privatization and politicization of the Postal Service.
- On February 22, Ranking Member Connolly led Committee Democrats in sending a letter to President Trump demanding he immediately abandon any plans that would either dismantle or privatize the U.S. Postal Service or undermine its independence in any way. The letter followed reporting from the Washington Post that the Trump Administration is preparing a plan to fire the bipartisan Postal Board of Governors and absorb the Postal Service into the Department of Commerce, “potentially throwing the 250-year-old mail provider and trillions of dollars of e-commerce transactions into turmoil.” The Members also cited subsequent reporting from CNN showing “the White House was silent on the question as to whether it is interested in privatizing the service, which is something that Trump has voiced support for in the past.”
