Louis DeJoy has officially stepped down as U.S. Postmaster General, resigning on March 24, 2025, just days after signing an agreement with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and the General Services Administration (GSA) to find efficiencies at the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). With his resignation, he issued a statement with additional details. DeJoy had served as postmaster general since May 2020.
DeJoy had previously announced his intention to resign and urged the U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors (BOG) to begin searching for his successor. In the interim, Deputy Postmaster General Doug Tulino will assume leadership until a permanent replacement is named.
DeJoy introduced his 10-year Delivering for America plan in 2021 in an attempt to turn around what DeJoy called a financially unsustainable, broken USPS business model. Despite those efforts, USPS experienced a net loss of $9.5 billion for FY 2024, after losing $6.5 billion during the same period the previous year. Stamp prices have climbed 36% since 2019 in a string of six increases, going up from 50 cents to 73 cents. The next rate increase is scheduled to occur this July. While customers are paying more, the significant delays in mail delivery continue.
Last month President Trump said he was considering bringing the Postal Service under the control of the Department of Commerce. The U.S. Postal Service was created in the Constitution, so an effort to merge the USPS into the Department of Commerce may not be possible without an act of Congress. And legal experts say any attempt to bring USPS under the White House's control would likely violate the Postal Reorganization Act of 1970, which transformed what was known as the Post Office Department, a Cabinet-level agency, into "an independent establishment of the executive branch."
President Trump has also shown support for privatizing the agency, sparking protests across the country by unions of postal workers in recent weeks. The postal workers are protesting privatization and DeJoy’s intention to eliminate 10,000 postal service jobs by mid-April. USPS employs more than 600,000 people, making it one of the largest employers in the country.
Kevin Yoder, former congressman and executive director of Keep US Posted, an advocacy group that PRINTING United Alliance is a member of, released the following statement on DeJoy’s departure:
"While we're glad to see DeJoy go, the fear is that his mismanagement will continue casting a destructive shadow. The time is now to stop following DeJoy's leadership, and that means abandoning strategies like rate hikes and service delays that harm businesses and everyday Americans alike," said Yoder.
The Coalition for a 21st Century Postal Service (C21), of which the Alliance is a member, believes the time is right to discuss broadly how to stabilize USPS and put it on a healthy course. In a statement, C21 said:
“Twice-a-year increases that raised prices some 40% in less than three years, with another 7-10% and more coming in July, are simply incompatible with a healthy system or what any private sector company would do. July’s price increase must be halted.”
Why is this important?
USPS is a key delivery channel for the printing industry, but rising postal rates have resulted in significant declines in overall mail volume. You can lend your voice and take action today at the Alliance’s Advocacy Center:
Ask USPS Board of Governors to Freeze the July Rate Hikes
As always, thank you for your support. PRINTING United Alliance will continue to collaborate with our coalition partners and advocate for a more reliable, affordable Postal Service for all Americans.
In this article, Stephanie Buka, Government Affairs Manager, PRINTING United Alliance, reports on the immediate resignation of Postmaster General Louis DeJoy. More information can be found at Business Excellence-Legislation or reach out to Steph should you have additional questions specific to how these issues may affect your business: sbuka@printing.org.
To become a member of the Alliance and learn more about how our subject matter experts can assist your company with services and resources such as those mentioned in this article, please contact the Alliance membership team: 888-385-3588 / membership@printing.org.