Dejoy testifies at testy House hearing
Postmaster General Louis Dejoy acknowledged failures in the delivery of holiday mail in an appearance Wednesday on Capitol Hill but blamed the delays on the coronavirus pandemic and what he said were long-festering problems within the U.S. Postal Service.
Dejoy, a longtime Republican donor and ally of President Donald Trump, stirred outrage shortly after he was named postmaster general in May 2020 by ordering the removal of mail-sorting machines in postal facilities, cutting overtime for mail carriers and making other controversial changes.
While Democrats questioned him at the hearing of the House Oversight Committee, Dejoy remained defiant, telling Rep. Jim Cooper, D-tenn., that he would oversee the Postal Service for “a long time. Get used to me.”
Lawmakers have expressed alarm over slow deliveries of prescription medicines and other items for veterans, seniors and other Americans who rely on the mail service as a lifeline.
Tempers flared at the hearing, where Dejoy was asked about the downsizing of some postal operations and other cuts that may affect postal workers’ benefits and salaries.
Dejoy also was questioned about the service’s operations during the 2020 elections and ongoing deliveries amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The Postal Service has struggled with financial problems as shipping rates have declined and the service’s obligations to fund health benefits for its retired workers burdened its balance sheets. As a semi-private entity, the service mostly funds itself through shipping fees; it is not taxpayer-funded but remains under the jurisdiction of the federal government.
Dejoy promised to put the Postal Service on better financial footing while ensuring performance. He said the “erosion has been going on for years.”
Dejoy acknowledged that during the holidays, the service “fell far short of meeting our service targets,” calling operations during 2020’s peak season a “failure.”
“We need to frankly confront the problems we face, be candid and realistic about the magnitude of the solutions we require, and embrace the few, crucial, elements of legislative help we need from the Congress,” he said.
Oversight Committee Chairwoman Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., noted that an investigation by the inspector general found Dejoy “did not adequately assess the impacts of his changes on service, and he did not adequately consult with Congress and others before he did so.”
“Many people – across the country and on this panel – have grave concerns. And recent events have aggravated them,” Maloney said.
Other Democrats asked Dejoy about delays and potential downsizing plans in their districts.
“What are you not willing to change just to make a buck?” Rep. Katie Porter, D-calif., pointedly asked Dejoy about his proposed changes for the service.
Republicans aaccused Democrats of unfairly targeting Dejoy.
Rep. James Comer, R-KY., ranking Republican on the Oversight Committee, argued that Democrats had levied “wild and unfounded conspiracies” about Dejoy’s changes. “Real reforms, tough decisions” are necessary to reform the Postal Service, Rep. Fred Keller, R-PA., argued at another point.