Topic: Louis Dejoy

David Steiner, a former FedEx board member, has been appointed as the 77th Postmaster General, sparking concerns about the privatization of the U.S. Postal Service. While Steiner claims he does not support privatization, critics point to his millions in FedEx stock and the potential for reduced rural mail service.

Reports suggest Donald Trump plans to move the U.S. Postal Service under the control of the Commerce Department following the retirement of Postmaster General Louis DeJoy. Media outlets, particularly PBS and the Washington Post, have repeatedly suggested this is a precursor to privatization, though no formal evidence of such a plan exists. The USPS lost over $9 billion in the last fiscal year, partly due to pension pre-funding requirements.

During a United States Postal Service hearing featuring Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, Senator Tom Carper experienced significant technical difficulties with his Zoom setup. Carper was heard using profanity while struggling to unmute his microphone, an incident captured on the official video feed. The moment is used to highlight the frequent failures of remote legislative proceedings.

The United States Postal Service warned 46 states that it may not be able to deliver mail-in ballots in time for the November election. Democrats are pushing for $25 billion in emergency funding for the USPS, which President Trump has linked to negotiations over a broader coronavirus relief bill. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy is under fire for operational changes that critics claim are intended to sabotage the election, leading to an Inspector General investigation.

President Trump is using USPS funding as leverage in negotiations for the HEROES Act, opposing the $1 trillion requested for state bailouts. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy's removal of mail-sorting machines is framed as a long-term shift toward package delivery to make the service profitable and challenge Amazon's low shipping rates. The hosts argue that the "mail-in voting crisis" is a predictable result of a lack of infrastructure for universal mail-in ballots.