Democrats Panic over President Trump’s Talk of Reforming U.S. Postal Service
House Oversight Committee Democrats are really worried about what President Donald Trump said on Friday regarding changes to the U.S. Postal Service.
Even though Trump hasn’t shared a detailed plan, he did criticize the Postal Service and mentioned ways it could be improved during the swearing-in ceremony for Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
“We want a post office that runs smoothly and doesn’t lose a lot of money, and we’re considering how to do that,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “It might involve a merger, but it will still be the Postal Service, and I believe it will function much better than it has in the past.
“It’s been a huge money loser for our country, with massive losses,” he continued. “We think we can create something really beneficial while keeping it similar, whether that means a merger or bringing in some of the talented people we have from other areas to help reduce the losses.”
President Trump was asked if he would dissolve the leadership of the USPS & merge with the Department of Commerce:
"We want to have a Post Office that works well & doesn't lose massive amounts of money .. I think it'll operate a lot better than it has been over the years. pic.twitter.com/T5ttK1w2jf
— Derrick Evans (@DerrickEvans4WV) February 23, 2025
Democrat members of the House Oversight Committee wrote a letter to Trump after his comments, asking him to drop any plans to change the USPS, according to the Hill.
In the letter, Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA), who is the ranking member, and other committee members expressed their concerns. They said, “Your reported efforts to break down the Postal Service as an independent agency would hurt the affordability and reliability of the U.S. postal system. We strongly urge you to stop any plans that would privatize the Postal Service or weaken its independence.”
This letter came after the Washington Post reported that Trump is considering firing the USPS board and merging it with the Department of Commerce.
Connolly pointed out that such a change would need cooperation from Congress, which he believes would not happen.
Even though USPS doesn’t get funding from Congress and makes money from its services, it is required to deliver to every mailbox in the U.S., something private companies don’t have to do.
“Congress has given a clear and important job to the Postal Service: to provide efficient, reliable, and universal service to all Americans,” Connolly added. “Your reported plans for the Postal Service could endanger the timely and affordable delivery of essential items like medications, mail-in ballots, important financial documents, and letters from family, especially in rural areas that private companies often ignore.”
Connolly also argued that changing USPS wouldn’t lead to financial stability for the independent agency but could instead expose it to political influence, changing priorities with different administrations, and rising costs.
Trump’s comments and the Democrats’ letter come after Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, who was appointed during Trump’s first term, made announcements earlier this year.