Editing United States Postal Service (section)

==== During the first Trump administration ====

As part of a June 2018 governmental reorganization plan, the [[First presidency of Donald Trump|Donald Trump administration]] proposed turning USPS into "a private postal operator" which could save costs through measures like delivering mail fewer days per week, or delivering to central locations instead of door to door. There was strong bipartisan opposition to the idea in Congress.<ref name=privatize />

In April 2020, Congress approved a $10 billion loan from the Treasury to the post office. According to ''The Washington Post'', officials under Treasury Secretary [[Steven Mnuchin]] suggested using the loan as leverage to give the Treasury Department more influence on USPS operations, including making them raise their charges for package deliveries, a change long sought by President Trump.<ref name="WaPo_Bogage_20200423">{{cite news |issn=0190-8286 |last1=Bogage |first1=Jacob |last2=Rein |first2=Lisa |title=Trump administration considers leveraging emergency coronavirus loan to force Postal Service changes |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |access-date=August 15, 2020 |date=April 23, 2020 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/04/23/10-billion-treasury-loan-usps/ |archive-date=August 20, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200820103232/https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/04/23/10-billion-treasury-loan-usps/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

In May 2020, the [[Board of Governors of the United States Postal Service]] appointed [[Louis DeJoy]] as Postmaster General. DeJoy was the first appointee in two decades to come from outside the postal service. Prior to the appointment, he was the founder and [[CEO]] of the logistics and freight company [[XPO Logistics|New Breed Logistics]] and was a major [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]] donor and fundraiser for [[Donald Trump]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=DeJoy donated nearly $700,000 to Trump's convention, new filings show|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2020/10/10/politics/louis-dejoy-trump-rnc-donation/index.html|access-date=2020-10-10|website=[[CNN]] NEWS|date=October 10, 2020|language=en|archive-date=April 24, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230424120605/https://edition.cnn.com/2020/10/10/politics/louis-dejoy-trump-rnc-donation/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

DeJoy immediately began taking measures to reduce costs, such as banning overtime and extra trips to deliver mail.<ref>{{cite web|last=Katz|first=Eric|date=July 20, 2020|title=Looking to Cut Costs, New USPS Leader Takes Aim at Overtime and Late Trips|url=https://www.govexec.com/pay-benefits/2020/07/looking-cut-costs-new-usps-leader-takes-aim-overtime-and-late-trips/166917/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727174300/https://www.govexec.com/pay-benefits/2020/07/looking-cut-costs-new-usps-leader-takes-aim-overtime-and-late-trips/166917/|archive-date=July 27, 2020 |access-date=July 27, 2020|website=Government Executive|language=en}}</ref><ref name="NYT_Broadwater_20200815">{{cite news |issn=0362-4331 |last1=Broadwater |first1=Luke |last2=Healy |first2=Jack |last3=Shear |first3=Michael D. |last4=Fuchs |first4=Hailey |title=Postal Crisis Ripples Across Nation as Election Looms |work=The New York Times |access-date=August 15, 2020 |date=August 15, 2020 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/15/us/post-office-vote-by-mail.html |archive-date=August 16, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200816201415/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/15/us/post-office-vote-by-mail.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="WaPo_Bogage_20200714">{{cite news |issn=0190-8286 |last=Bogage |first=Jacob |title=Postal Service memos detail 'difficult' changes, including slower mail delivery |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |access-date=August 15, 2020 |date=July 14, 2020 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/07/14/postal-service-trump-dejoy-delay-mail/ |archive-date=August 14, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200814145955/https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/07/14/postal-service-trump-dejoy-delay-mail/ |url-status=live}}</ref> While DeJoy admitted that these measures were causing [[2020 United States Postal Service crisis|delays in mail delivery]], he said they would eventually improve service.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Gardner |first1=Amy|last2=Dawsey|first2=Josh|last3=Kane|first3=Paul|date=August 13, 2020|title=Trump opposes election aid for states and Postal Service bailout, threatening Nov. 3 vote|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-mail-voting/2020/08/13/3eb9ac62-dd70-11ea-809e-b8be57ba616e_story.html?|access-date=August 14, 2020|archive-date=August 16, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200816204722/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-mail-voting/2020/08/13/3eb9ac62-dd70-11ea-809e-b8be57ba616e_story.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

More than 600 high-speed mail sorting machines were scheduled to be dismantled and removed from postal facilities,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/n7wk9z/the-post-office-is-deactivating-mail-sorting-machines-ahead-of-the-election|title=The Post Office Is Deactivating Mail Sorting Machines Ahead of the Election|last=Gordon|first=Aaron|date=August 13, 2020|work=[[Vice (magazine)|Vice]]|access-date=August 14, 2020|archive-date=August 16, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200816131447/https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/n7wk9z/the-post-office-is-deactivating-mail-sorting-machines-ahead-of-the-election|url-status=live}}</ref> raising concerns that mailed ballots for the [[2020 United States presidential election|November 3 election]] might not reach election offices on time.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/08/13/us-postal-service-whats-going-post-office-what-we-know/3360565001/|title=What's going on with the post office? Here's what we know|last=Behrmann|first=Savannah|date=August 13, 2020|work=[[USA Today]]|access-date=August 14, 2020|archive-date=August 15, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200815164407/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/08/13/us-postal-service-whats-going-post-office-what-we-know/3360565001/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Mail collection boxes were removed from the streets in many cities; after photos of boxes being removed were spread on social media, a postal service spokesman said they were being moved to higher traffic areas but that the removals would stop until after the election.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/08/14/people-are-freaking-out-about-mailbox-removals-postal-service-says-its-routine/|title=Postal Service will stop removing mailboxes|last=Bogage|first=Jacob|date=August 14, 2020|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=August 15, 2020|archive-date=August 16, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200816202417/https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/08/14/people-are-freaking-out-about-mailbox-removals-postal-service-says-its-routine/|url-status=live}}</ref>

The inspector general for the postal service opened an investigation into the recent changes.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-postal-service-inspector-general-investigating-changes-post-offices/|title=U.S. Postal Service inspector general is investigating changes at post offices|last=Segers|first=Grace|date=August 15, 2020|work=[[CBS News]]|access-date=August 15, 2020|archive-date=August 15, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200815160222/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-postal-service-inspector-general-investigating-changes-post-offices/|url-status=live}}</ref> On August 16 the House of Representatives was called back from its summer recess to consider a bill rolling back all of the changes.<ref name=Pelosi>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/16/us/politics/coronavirus-postal-service-stimulus-bill.html|title=Pelosi to Recall House for Postal Service Vote as Democrats Press for DeJoy to Testify|last1=Cochrane|first1=Emily|last2=Edmondson|first2=Catie|date=August 16, 2020|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=August 17, 2020|archive-date=August 17, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200817005620/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/16/us/politics/coronavirus-postal-service-stimulus-bill.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

On August 18, 2020, after days of heavy criticism and the day after lawsuits against the Postal Service and DeJoy personally were filed in federal court by several individuals,<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Wallace|first1=Danielle|last2=Mears|first2=Bill|date=August 17, 2020|title=First in expected flood of lawsuits against USPS, Trump filed in NY federal court|url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/postal-service-usps-lawsuit-dejoy-testify-congress|access-date=August 17, 2020|work=[[Fox News]]|language=en-US|archive-date=August 17, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200817220726/https://www.foxnews.com/politics/postal-service-usps-lawsuit-dejoy-testify-congress|url-status=live}}</ref> DeJoy announced that he would roll back all the changes until after the November election. He said he would reinstate overtime hours, roll back service reductions, and halt the removal of mail-sorting machines and collection boxes.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/senate-will-hold-postal-service-hearing-with-dejoy-on-friday-as-mail-delay-fears-grow/2020/08/18/5f978e76-e14f-11ea-8dd2-d07812bf00f7_story.html|title=Postmaster general announces he is 'suspending' policies that were blamed for causing mail delays|last=Bogage|first=Jacob|date=August 18, 2020|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=August 18, 2020|archive-date=August 18, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200818190834/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/senate-will-hold-postal-service-hearing-with-dejoy-on-friday-as-mail-delay-fears-grow/2020/08/18/5f978e76-e14f-11ea-8dd2-d07812bf00f7_story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> However, 95 percent of the mail sorting machines that were planned for removal had already been removed,<ref>{{Cite news|last=Gordon|first=Aaron|date=August 19, 2020|title=DeJoy's USPS Policy Rollbacks Don't Appear to Change Much|url=https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/xg8kwk/usps-policy-change-rollbacks-postmaster-general-dejoy|access-date=August 20, 2020|work=[[Vice (magazine)|Vice]]|language=en|archive-date=August 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200819235129/https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/xg8kwk/usps-policy-change-rollbacks-postmaster-general-dejoy|url-status=live}}</ref> and according to [[Speaker of the United States House of Representatives|House Speaker]] [[Nancy Pelosi]], DeJoy said he has no intention of replacing them or the mail collection boxes.<ref>{{cite web|last=Pelosi|first=Nancy|date=August 19, 2020|title=Earlier today, I spoke with Postmaster General DeJoy regarding his alleged pause in operational changes. During our conversation, he admitted he has no intention of replacing the sorting machines, blue mailboxes and other infrastructure that have been removed.|url=https://twitter.com/speakerpelosi/status/1296148989646188546|access-date=August 20, 2020|website=[[Twitter]]|language=en|archive-date=November 16, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201116050901/https://twitter.com/speakerpelosi/status/1296148989646188546|url-status=live}}</ref>

On December 27, 2020, the [[Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021|Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021]] forgave the previous $10 billion loan.<ref>{{cite news |date=December 21, 2020 |title=Highlights of $900 billion COVID-19 relief, wrapup bills |url=https://apnews.com/article/health-care-reform-health-legislation-coronavirus-pandemic-762f84e4da11d350d8b5be5680ab01c4 |url-status=live |work=[[The Associated Press]] |location= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211120152122/https://apnews.com/article/health-care-reform-health-legislation-coronavirus-pandemic-762f84e4da11d350d8b5be5680ab01c4 |archive-date=November 20, 2021 |access-date=April 13, 2022}}</ref>