Postmaster General Louis DeJoy is parting ways with the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). Throughout his tenure, DeJoy has faced intense scrutiny over stamp inflation, cost-cutting initiatives that have left many employees jobless, and consolidated postal operation tactics. But despite all this, union workers, political figures, and customers are concerned about what his resignation will mean for the USPS’ future at the hands of the Trump administration.
RELATED: 6 Major Changes Postmaster General Louis DeJoy Has Made to the USPS.
DeJoy announced his departure after being elected in 2020.
Five years into his reign as America’s 75th Postmaster General, DeJoy announced his resignation from the post. "I have today informed the Postal Service Board of Governors that today will be my last day in this role," DeJoy said of his "intention to retire" in a statement released by the USPS.
"It has been one of the pleasures of my life and a crowning achievement of my career to have been associated with this cherished institution, the United States Postal Service," he said in a letter addressed to the agency’s 640,000 employees.
The search is already underway for a new successor. In the interim, DeJoy has tapped Deputy Postmaster General Doug Tulino as his replacement. A press release from the USPS said there is "no established timeline" for selecting the 76th Postmaster General.
This process will be overseen by the Board of Governors, who are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. Together, they will appoint a leader who "can drive innovation, enhance operational efficiency, and strengthen the Postal Service’s role as a trusted part of American life and the nation’s critical infrastructure."
However, many are concerned that the Trump administration’s plans for a potential overhaul will cloud the Board’s decision-making. It’s worth noting that USPS guidelines state that only five of the nine Board of Governors may be from the same political party.
DeJoy said "much work remains" to get the USPS out of financial ruin.
Despite the USPS having "established the path toward financial sustainability and high operating performance," DeJoy still has some concerns.
The agency is only four years into DeJoy’s 10-year improvement plan aptly titled "Delivering for America" (DFA), aimed to take the Postal Service "from an organization in financial and operational crisis to one that is self-sustaining and high performing." With DeJoy gone, it’s unclear whether the next acting General will terminate DFA and introduce a new proposal.
According to DeJoy, the USPS has sustained "enormous beneficial change." The agency underwent a bit of facelift, including new delivery trucks, new packaging sorting machines, and safer mailboxes. However, the DFA plan also received a lot of pushback following six consecutive postage price hikes, a reduction in post office hours, and decreased aircraft shipments. Since then, roughly 30,000 USPS workers have been let go, and a voluntary early retirement program could cut another 10,000 employees, per CNN.
Looking towards the future, DeJoy said in his resignation announcement that "much work remains that is necessary to sustain our positive trajectory."
RELATED: 6 Ways Postmaster General Louis DeJoy Has Ruined the USPS, According to His Critics.
The future of the USPS remains up in the air.
As for what DeJoy’s resignation means for the USPS and your mail, that remains to be seen.
Since 1970, the USPS has operated as an independent institution, but that could all change under the current administration. President Trump has hinted at giving newly-appointed Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick control of the agency, which would be a historic first. In February, he called the USPS "a tremendous loser for this country," adding that Lutnick is "what we need" to turn things around.
"We want to have a post office that works well and doesn’t lose massive amounts of money," remarked Trump at Lutnick’s swearing-in ceremony, as reported by AP News. "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."
On March 13, DeJoy signed an agreement allowing Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) access to the agency’s finances. DeJoy said the collaboration will "assist us in identifying and achieving further efficiencies." The pact has sparked nationwide protests in the last week.
