Louis DeJoy resigns as postmaster general after nearly 5 years: What's next
US Postal Service head to step down after 5 years
The head of the U.S. Postal Service, Louis DeJoy, intends to steps down, the federal agency said Tuesday. This comes after a nearly five-year tenure marked by surges in mail-in election ballots, the coronavirus pandemic and efforts to stem losses through cost and service cuts.
WASHINGTON - After nearly five years in the position, Louis DeJoy, the head of the U.S. Postal Service, resigned Monday.
What they're saying:
DeJoy in a statement that he told the Postal Service Board of Governors that Monday would be his last day on the job. DeJoy had said in February that he had intended to step down but hadn’t set a date.
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"I believe strongly that the organization is well positioned and capable of carrying forward and fully implementing the many strategies and initiatives that comprise our transformation and modernization, and I have been working closely with the Deputy Postmaster General to prepare for this transition, DeJoy said in the statement.
Louis DeJoy, former the U.S. Postmaster General, attends an event announcing the Postal Service's plan on implementing electric vehicles, at the Postal Service Headquarters on December 20, 2022 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
He added that "much work remains that is necessary to sustain our positive trajectory."
Dig deeper:
DeJoy's tenure was marked by the COVID-19 pandemic, surges in mail-in election ballots and efforts to stem losses through cost and service cuts.
What's next:
Deputy Postmaster General Doug Tulino will take on the role until the Board names a permanent replacement.
Trump may take over postal service
Big picture view:
President Donald Trump previously said he may put the U.S. Postal Service under the control of the Commerce Department in what would be an executive branch takeover of the agency, which has operated as an independent entity since 1970.
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Video shared by homeowner Kelsey Proctor shows the postal worker using her phone to alert the dog’s family about the incident while she was out delivering mail.
"We want to have a post office that works well and doesn’t lose massive amounts of money," Trump said. "We’re thinking about doing that. And it’ll be a form of a merger, but it’ll remain the Postal Service, and I think it’ll operate a lot better."
Trump has been a critic of the Postal Service since his first term in office. In 2020, he threatened to block it from COVID-19 relief funding unless it quadrupled the package rates it charges large customers like Amazon, owned by billionaire Jeff Bezos. Bezos also owns The Washington Post, whose coverage rankled Trump.
The Source: The Associated Press contributed to this report. The information in this story came from Louis DeJoy's official statement announcing his resignation, in which he informed the Postal Service Board of Governors that Monday was his last day.