May 11, 2017

Postmaster General Megan Brennan made a critically important point in the course of discussing USPS quarterly results. The USPS needs a board to make important decisions. Here is how Federal News Radio reported on her remarks:

“The U.S. Postal Service currently has zero independently appointed governors on its board, and hasn’t had a new governor sworn in over seven years, Postmaster General Megan Brennan told reporters Wednesday. Without those governors at the helm, USPS cannot legally make several long-term decisions, like selecting a new postmaster general, introducing new postal products or revamping its business strategies.”

The empty USPS boardroom is likely a major reason USPS continues to see price increases and Congressional relief as the main solutions to what the PMG called “systemic business model challenges.” Most of the solutions that customers see as critical to the USPS future, including controlling labor cost, removing excess infrastructure, and innovation, should be within the purview of the operators of the system. And making and implementing bold decision in these areas would seem to necessitate board leadership.

We join the Postmaster General in urging the Administration to appoint nine independent, capable postal governors as soon as possible, and the Senate to quickly confirm them. The future of our postal system depends on it.