US Reps Adams and DeFazio Call on Postmaster General to Resign

Congresswoman Alma S. Adams (NC-12) and Congressman Peter A. DeFazio (OR-04) are calling on Postmaster General Louis DeJoy to resign or be removed immediately.

The Trump donor is the first person ever to be appointed to the role without having any experience within the US Postal Service. DeJoy has introduced new rules that are slowing down the mail and reassigned or displaced 23 senior staffers in a move which has been called the 'Friday Night Massacre."

Rep. DeFazio said:

“Since taking office, President Trump has been trying to sabotage the United States Postal Service.

"He hand-picked the new Postmaster General—one of his most loyal campaign donors, who has no previous experience working at USPS— to do his bidding.

“DeJoy’s baseless operational changes have already crippled a beloved and essential agency, delaying mail, critical prescription drug shipments for veterans and seniors and other essential goods.

"Now, DeJoy’s secret removal of the senior officials who run the day-to-day operations at the USPS lays bare his mission to centralize power, dismantle the agency and degrade service in order to thwart vote-by-mail across the nation to aid Trump’s reelection efforts.

"This November, an historic number of citizens will vote by mail in order to protect their health and safety during the COVID-19 pandemic. DeJoy’s nefarious collective efforts will suppress millions of mail-in ballots and threaten the voting rights of millions of Americans, setting the stage for breach of our Constitution.

"It is imperative that we remove him from his post and immediately replace him with an experienced leader who is committed to sustaining a critical service for all Americans.”

Congresswoman Adams said:

“The United States Postal Service was established by our Constitution, and this year it will play an unprecedented role in guaranteeing our right to vote.

“However, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy continues his unconstitutional sabotage of our Postal Service with complete disregard for the institution's promise of the 'safe and speedy transit of the mail' and the 'prompt delivery of its contents.

“My friend Maya Angelou used to say, ‘when someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.’

"The Postmaster General has shown us on multiple occasions he is working to dismantle a fundamental institution of our democracy.

"He needs to resign or be removed, now," concluded Adams.

'Friday Night Massacre'

The Washington Post reported that the "Friday Night Massacre" removed staffers with the most experience in a bid to centralize power in DeJoy.

“Twenty-three postal executives were reassigned or displaced, the new organizational chart shows. Analysts say the structure centralizes power around DeJoy, a former logistics executive and major ally of President Trump, and de-emphasizes decades of institutional postal knowledge", the paper wrote.

"All told, 33 staffers included in the old postal hierarchy either kept their jobs or were reassigned in the restructuring, with five more staffers joining the leadership from other roles.” 

Adams and DeFazio signed a bipartisan letter to the Postmaster General, stating: “It is vital that the U.S. Postal Service not reduce mail delivery times, which could harm rural communities, seniors, small businesses, and millions of Americans who rely on the mail for critical letters and packages.

"Eliminating overtime and directing postal workers to leave mail on the floor of postal facilities will erode confidence in the Postal Service and drive customers away, resulting in even worse financial conditions in the future.”