Watchdog Calls for President and USPS to Follow Law

For Immediate Release

Contact: Kara Zupkus

224-456-0257

Washington, D.C. – Today, the Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) criticized the Trump administration following reports that the President plans to strip the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) of its independent agency status. According to a recent report by The Washington Post’s Jacob Bogage, President Trump is expected to, “fire the members of the Postal Service’s governing board and place the agency under the control of the Department of Commerce (DoC) and Secretary Howard Lutnick … the board retained outside counsel and gave instructions to sue the White House if the president removed members of the board or attempted to alter the agency’s independent status.”

TPA President David Williams criticized this reported takeover, noting, “any attempt to fire the USPS’ Board and take away the agency’s independence is almost certainly illegal. The Postal Reorganization Act of 1970 explicitly enshrines the agency’s independence and directs that postal decisions be made by fixed-term governors. Wiping the slate clean and folding the USPS into the Commerce Department completely destroys this system set up by Congress. President Trump must respect the separation of powers and seek lawmakers’ approval before making this radical reorganization.”

Williams continued: “the government is horrendously inefficient, and there is no indication that federal bureaucrats will be able to effectively run the USPS and fix the agency’s problems. America’s mail carrier has a wide array of problems that result in significant costs for taxpayers and consumers. For example, the agency has decided to spend an astounding $10 billion on electric trucks, even though these trucks are pricier and less reliable than their conventional counterparts. In addition, the USPS is determined to raise stamp prices five more times through 2027, even though there’s no evidence this will create revenue rather than turn consumers away. These problems cannot be fixed by playing musical chairs. Instead of punting postal issues to a different part of government, President Trump must confront these systemic issues head-on.”

Williams concluded: “following the law and enacting postal reform go hand-in-hand. Disregarding the Postal Reorganization Act will not only be struck down in court but also risks setting a troubling precedent. President Trump must work with the Board to get the USPS back on track.”

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Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to educating the public through the research, analysis and dissemination of information on the government’s effects on the economy.