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United States Postal Service Postmaster General Louis DeJoy at a Feb. 24 committee hearing. Photo: Graeme Jennings/pool/AFP via Getty Images
President Biden on Wednesday nominated a former postal union lawyer, a vote-by-mail advocate, and a former deputy postmaster general to sit on the Postal Services' Board of Governors.
Why it matters: The nominations, which require Senate confirmation, come as some Democrats call for Postmaster General Louis DeJoy's ouster and others push for Biden to nominate board members to name a new postmaster general.
- If Biden's nominees are accepted, Democrats would hold a majority on the board, per the Washington Post, which first reported this story.
Driving the news: DeJoy apologized during a congressional hearing on Wednesday for chronic delays in USPS' mail delivery that stretched into the holiday season after coming under fire during the 2020 election.
- Those widespread lags last fall prompted allegations from Democratic lawmakers that former President Trump and DeJoy, a Trump mega-donor, were attempting to undermine the Postal Service ahead of the election.
- Trump continuously claimed prior to the election that mail-in voting, which saw unprecedented popularity during the election due to the pandemic, would lead to widespread voter fraud.
- DeJoy in August pledged to halt operational changes and cost cuts attributed to the delays, to "avoid even the appearance of any impact on election mail."
Details: The nominees are: Anton Hajjar, former general counsel of the American Postal Workers Union, Amber McReynolds, CEO of the National Vote at Home Institute, and Ron Stroman, former deputy postmaster general.
What they're saying: "The Postal Service will welcome all qualified members to the Board of Governors—a decision reserved for the President and the Senate, who are tasked with nominating and confirming board members," Dave Partenheimer, a USPS spokesperson, said in a statement.
- "The Postmaster General is selected by our Governors, who are the principal officers of the Postal Service and by law must be bipartisan."