House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer held a hearing focused on the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). During the session, Chairman Comer acknowledged Postmaster General Louis DeJoy's efforts to address USPS's financial issues but expressed concerns about its ongoing financial losses. He emphasized the need for USPS to achieve financial self-sufficiency while improving service quality.
Chairman Comer commended DeJoy for managing election mail and ballot delivery effectively. He highlighted recent legislation that mandates barcoding on ballots to enhance transparency as they move through the USPS network. However, he raised concerns about potential exploitation of USPS vulnerabilities during elections and assured continued oversight by the Committee.
In his prepared remarks, Chairman Comer stated: "Thank you, Postmaster General DeJoy, for appearing before the Committee." He also thanked Postal Service Inspector General Tammy Hull for her participation.
Reflecting on DeJoy's tenure, Comer noted: "It has been three and a half years since Postmaster General DeJoy issued the Delivering America Plan," acknowledging the challenges faced in transforming USPS into a modern enterprise. Despite efforts, he pointed out that "the Postal Service’s financial solvency today continues to be of concern," citing significant financial losses over recent years.
Comer questioned whether some operational tasks might be better suited for private sector management due to rising personnel costs and retirement expenses. He urged USPS to find ways to increase efficiency with fewer resources.
Addressing election mail concerns, Comer appreciated USPS's role in delivering election mail but stressed it should not act as an election authority. The recently passed legislation requiring barcoding aims to improve transparency, though gaps remain when extraordinary measures are implemented without scanning ballots.
Comer concluded by urging collaboration between USPS and Congress: "We know you have a job to do, but so do we. We need you to answer our questions and give us reason to believe things will turn around."
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