Vermont Senator Peter Welch recently took to the Senate Floor yesterday to call out Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s failure to deliver for rural America. Welch pointed to the postal delays plaguing Vermont and other rural areas because of DeJoy’s policies, and the lack of a fully functioning Post Office in Vermont’s capital city as examples.
"The wreckage by Postmaster General DeJoy is reflected in his unresponsive attitude towards everyday Americans in every District of this country—and it's got to end,” said Welch.
DeJoy became Postmaster General in 2022 under former President Trump. So why hasn't President Joe Biden replaced him?
The President does not have the authority to directly fire the Postmaster General, as this position is appointed by the Board of Governors of the United States Postal Service (USPS). The President can only appoint members to the Board of Governors, but he cannot directly influence the decision of the board regarding the Postmaster General.
Some people have called for President Biden to replace the current board members with individuals who might be more inclined to remove the Postmaster General. However, this would require the Senate's approval, and it is uncertain whether the new members would have enough votes to oust the current Postmaster General.
Vermont’s Congressional Delegation has called on DeJoy to restore full service in downtown Montpelier, and work with the community and Vermont leaders. Sen. Welch also led a letter with several Senate colleagues to President Biden, urging him to nominate leaders to the USPS Board of Governors who will meet the needs of rural customers.
It is possible that Biden doesn't believe he can garner the 51% majority vote needed in the Senate to replace any of the current board members. Meanwhile, In July 2023, Vermont experienced catastrophic flooding and the Montpelier Post Office was flooded. Repairs to the building are expected to take several years. The Post Office operated out of a series of temporary locations in and nearby Montpelier but has not re-opened a permanent retail post office in Montpelier since the flood. Welch, no doubt, will keep working on the issue.