President Donald Trump is reportedly gearing up to take direct control of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) by issuing an executive order that would dissolve its current governing board and fold the agency into the Commerce Department. If executed, this move—potentially happening as soon as this week—would place the historically independent mail service under the administration’s direct oversight.
This shake-up comes on the heels of Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s resignation. DeJoy, who took the helm in June 2020, faced intense bipartisan scrutiny over controversial operational changes that led to significant mail delays. Upon announcing his departure, he urged the USPS Board of Governors to begin searching for his successor.
The Trump administration has long explored ways to overhaul the Postal Service, including previous discussions about privatization due to ongoing financial struggles. In fiscal year 2024, USPS reported a staggering $9.5 billion net loss, fueling further debates about restructuring options, including privatization or a public-private partnership model.
Despite these discussions, the White House insists there are no active plans to privatize USPS. Any move in that direction would likely face fierce resistance in Congress, where bipartisan opposition remains strong. Lawmakers warn that changes could drive up mailing costs and limit services, particularly in rural areas that rely heavily on the Postal Service.
Newsweek has additional information, including how your mail may be affected:
The agency is then expected to be placed under the control of the Commerce Department and Secretary Lutnick, who was confirmed in his role earlier this week. Three of the six officials interviewed by the newspaper said the governing board is ready to fight Trump’s order and gave instructions to sue the White House if the president attempted a takeover of the agency.
The move, should it be implemented despite the White House’s denial, is likely to prompt legal actions, as placing the USPS under the Commerce Department could potentially violate federal law. Members of the agency’s governing board are appointed by the U.S. president and confirmed by the Senate.
Back in December, when he was discussing the idea of privatizing USPS, Trump said: “There is a lot of talk about the Postal Service being taken private. It’s a lot different today, between Amazon and UPS and FedEx and all the things that you didn’t have. But there is talk about that. It’s an idea that a lot of people have liked for a long time.”
American Postal Workers Union (APWU) President Mark Dimondstein said in a statement: “If this reporting is true, it would be an outrageous, unlawful attack on a storied national treasure, enshrined in the Constitution and created by Congress to serve every American home and business equally. Any attack on the Postal Service would be part of the billionaire oligarch coup, directed not just at the postal workers our union represents, but the millions of Americans who rely on the critical public service our members provide every single day.”
If USPS is integrated into the Commerce Department, it would mark a dramatic shift in the 250-year-old agency’s structure, oversight and potentially its day-to-day operations. Whether this restructuring improves efficiency or sparks new controversies remains to be seen.
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GREAT idea Mr. President~
SOMETHING needs to be done! We live in a rural area & can’t even get our bills on time! We usually get them AFTER they are due (if we get them at all & are not lost!) which forces us to pay them on line so they’re not late. We’re lucky if we get them in time to mail them that our creditors receive them in time! But yet, the price of stamps just keeps going up and up and the postmaster general is making over $300,000 per year! Mr President, please do something! SOMEBODY do something!
Automate sorting more
Use robotics for moving mail
Sell USPS trucks to Public
Use GPS in trucks to deliever mail
More kisoks for dispense stamps
Kiosks for sending out pacakages
Two choices.
1) improve services and efficiency — from a customer perspective it feels like postage rate increases have been exorbitant, the service (e.g. post office hours) getting less customer-friendly, and deficits are increasing or
2) have someone else manage USPS to achieve these goals.
Current manage has had USPS circling the drain for quite some time. Personally, as a retired businessman, I think they’ve had ample opportunity and proven themselves incapable.
“Members of the agency’s governing board are appointed by the U.S. president and confirmed by the Senate.” This context is the key to the entire matter. The President appoints the board, as well as dis-appoint the board. The postal board comes directly under the Executive Branch. In matters of “structure,” that might be a matter of debate in the House “Ways and Means” committee.
I am in favor of dismantling all unions.
They increase cost just in their operation.
They also increase cost in their inefficiency
We need a system that rewards merit.
What’s needed is to stop subsidizing the junk-mailers. If postal rates for non-first-class mail weren’t so ridiculously cheap, mail carriers and the rest of us wouldn’t have to deal with tons of trash every day.