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| Louis DeJoy Testimony Live Updates: Postmaster General Defends Tenure Before Lawmakers | Louis DeJoy Testimony Live Updates: Postmaster General Defends Tenure Before Lawmakers |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Postmaster General Louis DeJoy defended the cost-cutting measures he had put in place and pushed back against suggestions that the changes were intended to influence the 2020 election by making mail-in voting less reliable. | Postmaster General Louis DeJoy defended the cost-cutting measures he had put in place and pushed back against suggestions that the changes were intended to influence the 2020 election by making mail-in voting less reliable. |
| Mr. DeJoy once again criticized the “false narrative” that he said was being promoted about both his intentions and the changes, which he described as necessary to address the Postal Service’s financial woes but that civil rights groups, state attorneys general and Democrats have derided as an attempt to disenfranchise voters. | Mr. DeJoy once again criticized the “false narrative” that he said was being promoted about both his intentions and the changes, which he described as necessary to address the Postal Service’s financial woes but that civil rights groups, state attorneys general and Democrats have derided as an attempt to disenfranchise voters. |
| Mr. DeJoy told House lawmakers that he did not put in place many of the changes that had caused concern — including the removal of blue mailboxes. He acknowledged that some of the changes he had implemented, such as reducing overtime and limiting trips, had caused delays but said those issues were being rectified. | Mr. DeJoy told House lawmakers that he did not put in place many of the changes that had caused concern — including the removal of blue mailboxes. He acknowledged that some of the changes he had implemented, such as reducing overtime and limiting trips, had caused delays but said those issues were being rectified. |
| “Transitions don’t always go smoothly,” he said, adding that while “we are very concerned with the deterioration in service, we’re seeing a big recovery this week.” | “Transitions don’t always go smoothly,” he said, adding that while “we are very concerned with the deterioration in service, we’re seeing a big recovery this week.” |
| Mr. DeJoy continued to insist that many of the problems were not related to the decisions he had made during his 70-day tenure, saying that “there are a lot of reasons for delay other than my actions to run the trucks on time.” | Mr. DeJoy continued to insist that many of the problems were not related to the decisions he had made during his 70-day tenure, saying that “there are a lot of reasons for delay other than my actions to run the trucks on time.” |
| As Democrats attacked the postal head for making changes in the midst of a pandemic and so close to the election, Mr. DeJoy said the timing was appropriate. | |
| “It was summertime, mail volume was down significantly, we’re getting ready for the peak season and the election is three months away,” he said. “It was a good time to try and start to roll this out.” | |
| Many Democrats were not satisfied with that explanation and the hearing turned testy when Representative Stephen F. Lynch, Democrat of Massachusetts, accused Mr. DeJoy of “incompetence” and asked “how can one person screw this up in just a few weeks?” | Many Democrats were not satisfied with that explanation and the hearing turned testy when Representative Stephen F. Lynch, Democrat of Massachusetts, accused Mr. DeJoy of “incompetence” and asked “how can one person screw this up in just a few weeks?” |
| After repeatedly asking whether Mr. DeJoy would return the mail sorting machines that have already been removed from post offices, the postal leader barked “I will not.” He then added that Mr. Lynch had spread “misinformation” during his furious monologue. | After repeatedly asking whether Mr. DeJoy would return the mail sorting machines that have already been removed from post offices, the postal leader barked “I will not.” He then added that Mr. Lynch had spread “misinformation” during his furious monologue. |
| Mr. DeJoy is embroiled in a political firestorm as recent changes aimed at reducing the Postal Service’s costs — including cutting overtime and limiting trips — have led to delays in mail delivery, including medicine, pension checks and bills. That has fueled concerns about whether the service will be able to handle what is expected to be a record number of mail-in ballots for the 2020 election. | Mr. DeJoy is embroiled in a political firestorm as recent changes aimed at reducing the Postal Service’s costs — including cutting overtime and limiting trips — have led to delays in mail delivery, including medicine, pension checks and bills. That has fueled concerns about whether the service will be able to handle what is expected to be a record number of mail-in ballots for the 2020 election. |
| In searing opening remarks, Representative Carolyn B. Maloney, Democrat of New York and the chairwoman of the House Oversight Committee, took aim at Mr. DeJoy, calling the notion that the changes he implemented at the agency would not cause mail delays “incompetence at best.” | In searing opening remarks, Representative Carolyn B. Maloney, Democrat of New York and the chairwoman of the House Oversight Committee, took aim at Mr. DeJoy, calling the notion that the changes he implemented at the agency would not cause mail delays “incompetence at best.” |
| “Maybe Mr. DeJoy was warned that his changes would cause delays, but he disregarded those warnings,” Ms. Maloney said. “Or, perhaps there is a far simpler explanation. Perhaps Mr. DeJoy is just doing exactly what President Trump said he wanted on national television — using the blocking of funds to justify sweeping changes to hobble mail-in voting.” | “Maybe Mr. DeJoy was warned that his changes would cause delays, but he disregarded those warnings,” Ms. Maloney said. “Or, perhaps there is a far simpler explanation. Perhaps Mr. DeJoy is just doing exactly what President Trump said he wanted on national television — using the blocking of funds to justify sweeping changes to hobble mail-in voting.” |
| “All of these options are bad,” she concluded. | “All of these options are bad,” she concluded. |
| Other Democrats in the House showed early on in the hearing that they would take a much tougher approach to questioning Mr. DeJoy than their Senate counterparts did on Friday. | Other Democrats in the House showed early on in the hearing that they would take a much tougher approach to questioning Mr. DeJoy than their Senate counterparts did on Friday. |
| Representative Gerald Connolly of Virginia criticized Mr. DeJoy, saying that “six weeks into the complex and awe-inspiring new job in the midst of a global pandemic and just weeks before a consequential national election where the Postal Service will play an unprecedented role, decides to announce a sweeping reorganization that he admits could slow down mail and will undoubtedly infuse uncertainty and confusion throughout the Postal Service and into our neighborhoods all across America.” | Representative Gerald Connolly of Virginia criticized Mr. DeJoy, saying that “six weeks into the complex and awe-inspiring new job in the midst of a global pandemic and just weeks before a consequential national election where the Postal Service will play an unprecedented role, decides to announce a sweeping reorganization that he admits could slow down mail and will undoubtedly infuse uncertainty and confusion throughout the Postal Service and into our neighborhoods all across America.” |
| In his introduction of Mr. Dejoy, Representative Mark Walker, Republican of North Carolina, accused Democrats of trying to “cancel” Mr. Dejoy for purely partisan reasons. | In his introduction of Mr. Dejoy, Representative Mark Walker, Republican of North Carolina, accused Democrats of trying to “cancel” Mr. Dejoy for purely partisan reasons. |
| “How sad is it when the cancel culture has reached the halls of congress,” Mr. Walker said. ‘The man sitting before this committee today is not who the Democrats have villianized him to be. He’s here today because he supported President Trump.” | “How sad is it when the cancel culture has reached the halls of congress,” Mr. Walker said. ‘The man sitting before this committee today is not who the Democrats have villianized him to be. He’s here today because he supported President Trump.” |
| Other Republicans on the committee struck a similar tone. Representative James R. Comer of Kentucky, the top Republican on the committee, used his opening remarks to chastise Democrats for spreading a “baseless conspiracy theory about the Postal Service” and hastily moving over the weekend to pass legislation that would block some service changes and send the beleaguered agency $25 billion. | Other Republicans on the committee struck a similar tone. Representative James R. Comer of Kentucky, the top Republican on the committee, used his opening remarks to chastise Democrats for spreading a “baseless conspiracy theory about the Postal Service” and hastily moving over the weekend to pass legislation that would block some service changes and send the beleaguered agency $25 billion. |
| He said Mr. DeJoy was taking good-faith steps to cut costs and noted that he took responsibility for the delays — what Mr. Comer called “temporary growing pains.” | He said Mr. DeJoy was taking good-faith steps to cut costs and noted that he took responsibility for the delays — what Mr. Comer called “temporary growing pains.” |
| He pointed out that the recent removal of blue mailboxes and mail sorting machines were long planned and consistent with actions taken under Mr. DeJoy’s predecessor. | He pointed out that the recent removal of blue mailboxes and mail sorting machines were long planned and consistent with actions taken under Mr. DeJoy’s predecessor. |
| “I am disappointed in the hysterical frenzy being whipped up by the Democrats and their friends in the media,” Mr. Comer said, adding that the Postal Service “has more than adequate capacity to handle the vote by mail.” | “I am disappointed in the hysterical frenzy being whipped up by the Democrats and their friends in the media,” Mr. Comer said, adding that the Postal Service “has more than adequate capacity to handle the vote by mail.” |
| Representative Jody Hice, Republican of Georgia, blamed the mail delays on the pandemic, saying “there are thousands of U.S.P.S. workers who are not showing up for work due to Covid-19” adding that “the postmaster general has nothing to do with Covid-19.” | Representative Jody Hice, Republican of Georgia, blamed the mail delays on the pandemic, saying “there are thousands of U.S.P.S. workers who are not showing up for work due to Covid-19” adding that “the postmaster general has nothing to do with Covid-19.” |
| Mr. Trump weighed in during the hearing, reiterating claims he has previously made — without evidence — that mail-in voting will lead to fraud. | Mr. Trump weighed in during the hearing, reiterating claims he has previously made — without evidence — that mail-in voting will lead to fraud. |
| “All the Radical Left Democrats are trying to do with the Post Office hearings is blame the Republicans for the FRAUD that will occur because of the 51 Million Ballots that are being sent to people who have not even requested them,” he wrote on Twitter. “They are setting the table for a BIG MESS!” | “All the Radical Left Democrats are trying to do with the Post Office hearings is blame the Republicans for the FRAUD that will occur because of the 51 Million Ballots that are being sent to people who have not even requested them,” he wrote on Twitter. “They are setting the table for a BIG MESS!” |
| Mr. Trump has stoked concerns about the validity of mail-in voting ahead of the 2020 election, saying last week that allowing universal voting by mail would lead to people fraudulently casting multiple ballots — a practice that experts say has been exceedingly rare in places where mail-in voting has been common for many years. | Mr. Trump has stoked concerns about the validity of mail-in voting ahead of the 2020 election, saying last week that allowing universal voting by mail would lead to people fraudulently casting multiple ballots — a practice that experts say has been exceedingly rare in places where mail-in voting has been common for many years. |
| Mr. DeJoy acknowledged on Monday that he did not find those comments helpful. | Mr. DeJoy acknowledged on Monday that he did not find those comments helpful. |
| “I have put word around to different people that this is not helpful,” he said, in response to a question from Mr. Connolly about whether he had been in contact with the administration or Mr. Trump about his attacks. | “I have put word around to different people that this is not helpful,” he said, in response to a question from Mr. Connolly about whether he had been in contact with the administration or Mr. Trump about his attacks. |
| Democrats pressed Mr. DeJoy, a logistics executive whose name was not on an initial list of candidates provided to the Postal Service’s board of governors, about how he was selected to run the Postal Service. | |
| As The Times reported on Saturday, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin was a key player in selecting the board members who hired Mr. DeJoy and in pushing the agenda that he has pursued. | |
| [Read more about Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin’s role in the selection process.] | [Read more about Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin’s role in the selection process.] |
| In a fiery exchange with Representative Jamie Raskin, a Maryland Democrat, Mr. DeJoy insisted that Mr. Mnuchin “had nothing to do with my selection” and that he only met with the Treasury secretary after he was offered the position. | |
| Mr. DeJoy also defended his background as a logistics executive and insisted that he was properly vetted for the position of postmaster general. However, when asked if he would share the file from his background check, he rebuffed the notion. | |
| “No, why would I release a background check,” Mr. DeJoy said incredulously. | |
| Late last week, David C. Williams, the former vice chairman of the board of governors, who was appointed by Mr. Trump as a Democratic member of the panel, told House Democrats in scathing testimony that Mr. DeJoy was the least qualified candidate the board interviewed for the job, and that Robert M. Duncan, the chairman of the Postal Service board of governors, had suggested him to the panel. | Late last week, David C. Williams, the former vice chairman of the board of governors, who was appointed by Mr. Trump as a Democratic member of the panel, told House Democrats in scathing testimony that Mr. DeJoy was the least qualified candidate the board interviewed for the job, and that Robert M. Duncan, the chairman of the Postal Service board of governors, had suggested him to the panel. |
| Mr. Williams also accused Mr. Mnuchin of politicizing the Postal Service, an independent agency whose leader has been walled off from the White House since 1970. | Mr. Williams also accused Mr. Mnuchin of politicizing the Postal Service, an independent agency whose leader has been walled off from the White House since 1970. |
| When he resigned from the board in protest on the eve of Mr. DeJoy’s selection, Mr. Williams said that no serious background investigation into the candidate had been conducted — despite his request for one — and that a brief review by the agency’s inspector general had surfaced potential concerns about contract work Mr. DeJoy’s logistics firm had done for the Postal Service. | When he resigned from the board in protest on the eve of Mr. DeJoy’s selection, Mr. Williams said that no serious background investigation into the candidate had been conducted — despite his request for one — and that a brief review by the agency’s inspector general had surfaced potential concerns about contract work Mr. DeJoy’s logistics firm had done for the Postal Service. |
| Mr. Duncan, the chairman of the Postal Service’s board of governors, also began testifying on Monday, the first public remarks he has given on the state of the embattled agency. Mr. Duncan, who was appointed by President Trump in 2017 and confirmed by the Senate in 2018, oversees the service and spearheaded the selection of Mr. DeJoy, introducing his name into the search process as a contender. | Mr. Duncan, the chairman of the Postal Service’s board of governors, also began testifying on Monday, the first public remarks he has given on the state of the embattled agency. Mr. Duncan, who was appointed by President Trump in 2017 and confirmed by the Senate in 2018, oversees the service and spearheaded the selection of Mr. DeJoy, introducing his name into the search process as a contender. |
| Mr. Duncan, in opening remarks to lawmakers, defended selecting Mr. DeJoy to helm the agency, citing his “deep knowledge” of the Postal Service from his work in the private sector and casting the changes he had implemented as crucial to transforming a flagging institution. | Mr. Duncan, in opening remarks to lawmakers, defended selecting Mr. DeJoy to helm the agency, citing his “deep knowledge” of the Postal Service from his work in the private sector and casting the changes he had implemented as crucial to transforming a flagging institution. |
| Mr. Duncan said it was crucial that Mr. DeJoy continued to increase the agency’s efficiency and cut down on “unnecessary expenses,” a reference to the cuts to overtime the agency head has instituted. | Mr. Duncan said it was crucial that Mr. DeJoy continued to increase the agency’s efficiency and cut down on “unnecessary expenses,” a reference to the cuts to overtime the agency head has instituted. |
| “Business as usual is not an option,” Mr. Duncan said. | “Business as usual is not an option,” Mr. Duncan said. |
| Mr. DeJoy’s political donations to Trump and his ties to the president became a prominent line of attack for Democrats during the hearing. Representative Jim Cooper, Democrat of Tennessee, pointedly — and at times without evidence or explanation — insinuated Mr. DeJoy may be responsible for a pattern of illegality in service of Mr. Trump’s attacks on mail-in voting. | |
| He suggested that Mr. DeJoy’s orders for mail trucks to run on time, even if they were empty, could be considered a felony for delaying the mail. He asserted that Mr. DeJoy’s continued financial stake in a company that does business with the Postal Service was a conflict of interest. He asked, without providing any evidence or background for his claim, whether Mr. DeJoy had facilitated campaign contributions to the Trump campaign in a manner that would violate so-called straw donation prohibitions and then asserted that his operational changes at the Postal Service amounted to an in-kind contribution to the Trump campaign because of the delays they had caused in the run-up to a major election. | |
| “Do your mail delays help Trump campaign goals of hurting the post office as stated in his tweets,” Mr. Cooper asked. “Are your mail delays implicit contributions?” | |
| Mr. DeJoy was furious. He said he was not above the law, maintained he was fully complaint with ethics requirements, and called questions about illegal campaign donations “outrageous” and false. | |
| “I’m not answering these types of questions,” he said near the end of the exchange. “I’m here to represent the Postal Service. All my actions have to do with improvements to the Postal Service. Am I the only one in this room who understand that we have a $10 billion a year loss? Am I the only one in this room who has looked at the O.I.G. reports that have stacked up?” | |
| Mr. Cooper said he was only asking questions about potential campaign finance violations. But he pressed on, drawing moans from Republicans in the hearing room: “Is your back-up plan to be pardoned like Roger Stone?” | |
| Mr. Dejoy laughed. “I have no comment on that,” he said. “It’s not worth the comment.” | |
| Mr. DeJoy’s decision last week to suspend cost-cutting and other operational changes until after the November election has done little to mollify critics, including union officials and postal workers, who say some of the changes already put in place have done grave damage to the Postal Service. | Mr. DeJoy’s decision last week to suspend cost-cutting and other operational changes until after the November election has done little to mollify critics, including union officials and postal workers, who say some of the changes already put in place have done grave damage to the Postal Service. |
| Democrats pushed Mr. DeJoy to commit to reversing the moves. | Democrats pushed Mr. DeJoy to commit to reversing the moves. |
| Lawmakers, along with state attorneys general, have expressed concern over the elimination of overtime, the removal of mailboxes and the reduction of post office hours. | Lawmakers, along with state attorneys general, have expressed concern over the elimination of overtime, the removal of mailboxes and the reduction of post office hours. |
| Some of those changes preceded Mr. DeJoy’s tenure — including the removal of mailboxes and mail sorting machines. | Some of those changes preceded Mr. DeJoy’s tenure — including the removal of mailboxes and mail sorting machines. |
| Mr. DeJoy vowed on Friday to stop removal of mail processing equipment and blue collection boxes, and told senators that he did not know about the machine removal when it began, saying it was “not a critical issue within the Postal Service.” | Mr. DeJoy vowed on Friday to stop removal of mail processing equipment and blue collection boxes, and told senators that he did not know about the machine removal when it began, saying it was “not a critical issue within the Postal Service.” |
| Some of those changes would be hard to unwind, including restoring the mail sorting machines that have been taken out of service. Some have been disassembled or destroyed, according to union officials, postal workers and lawmakers. | Some of those changes would be hard to unwind, including restoring the mail sorting machines that have been taken out of service. Some have been disassembled or destroyed, according to union officials, postal workers and lawmakers. |
| Senator Maggie Hassan, Democrat of New Hampshire, told Mr. DeJoy on Friday that several machines in Manchester had been taken out of service. | Senator Maggie Hassan, Democrat of New Hampshire, told Mr. DeJoy on Friday that several machines in Manchester had been taken out of service. |
| “Three of them are just sitting there, and I am told that one of them has been dismantled and sold to a company in Pennsylvania for scrap metal,” she said. | “Three of them are just sitting there, and I am told that one of them has been dismantled and sold to a company in Pennsylvania for scrap metal,” she said. |
| Mr. DeJoy is expected to maintain that “dramatic” changes are necessary to address the long-term financial sustainability of the Postal Service. | Mr. DeJoy is expected to maintain that “dramatic” changes are necessary to address the long-term financial sustainability of the Postal Service. |
| Mr. DeJoy’s ongoing financial ties to companies that contract with the Postal Service also came under scrutiny from Democrats. | |
| Mr. DeJoy continues to hold $25 million to $50 million in XPO Logistics, a $16 billion transportation company where he served as the chief executive of its supply chain business until 2015 and was a board member until 2018. And he continues to earn millions of dollars more in rental payments from XPO through leasing agreements at buildings that he owns, according to his financial disclosure forms. | Mr. DeJoy continues to hold $25 million to $50 million in XPO Logistics, a $16 billion transportation company where he served as the chief executive of its supply chain business until 2015 and was a board member until 2018. And he continues to earn millions of dollars more in rental payments from XPO through leasing agreements at buildings that he owns, according to his financial disclosure forms. |
| XPO assists the Postal Service during busy shipping periods, such as around the holidays, moving bulk shipments of packages from fulfillment centers and taking them to local Postal Service centers so mail carriers can deliver them to residences. | XPO assists the Postal Service during busy shipping periods, such as around the holidays, moving bulk shipments of packages from fulfillment centers and taking them to local Postal Service centers so mail carriers can deliver them to residences. |
| Mr. DeJoy defended his continued investment in XPO Logistics. | |
| “I have a significant investment in XPO logistics, which I vetted before with the ethics department of the Postal Service and I was given specific types of guidelines that I needed to adhere to,” he told Mr. Raskin. “It’s a very, very small part of the Postal Service business I have nothing to do with. I comply with all ethical requirements and we have an OIG investigation. I guess they’ll get to everything that you’re interested in and we will see what will happen.” |