Washington, D.C. — Following reports that President Donald Trump plans to fire the bipartisan Postal Board of Governors and absorb the Postal Service into the Department of Commerce, Michael Sozan, senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, issued the following statement:
This reported plan to dismantle the U.S. Postal Service is a reckless move that could give Donald Trump power to politicize mail delivery and undermine the reliability of an essential and constitutional service that Americans depend on. It could jeopardize people’s access to lifesaving medications and government benefits, impede the delivery of mail ballots in the next election, or allow the president to retaliate against states or business interests that don’t fall in line with his political views. Trump has even mused about privatizing the agency, which would line the pockets of wealthy CEOs at the expense of everyday people.
Unlike private delivery companies, the U.S. Postal Service has a legal obligation to deliver to all Americans. The Constitution requires the government to establish post offices as a core function, and Congress decided decades ago that the Postal Service must remain free from undue political interference so that it can best serve the American people. If Trump takes these actions, he will own the destructive impacts on small business owners, rural communities, seniors, and other Americans. The Postal Board of Governors must fight any attempt to fire them or neuter the independent Postal Service.
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