US postmaster general plans to step down after reporting billions in losses

• U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy has asked the Postal Service Board of Governors to identify his successor. He did not specify when he plans to step down.
• The Postal Service is implementing a 10-year restructuring plan announced in 2021, aiming to eliminate $160 billion in predicted losses over the next decade.
• While the president does not appoint the postmaster, DeJoy’s departure grants President Donald Trump an opportunity to influence the leadership of the agency.

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U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy announced that he has requested the Postal Service Board of Governors to begin the search for his successor. DeJoy, who has led the agency since 2020, did not specify in his resignation letter Tuesday, Feb. 18, when he plans to step down.

“While there remains much critical work to be done to ensure that the Postal Service can be financially viable as we continue to serve the nation in our essential public service mission, I have decided it is time to start the process of identifying my successor and of preparing the Postal Service for this change,” DeJoy said in the letter.

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In November 2024, DeJoy shared with the Board of Governors a mixed review of the past year.  

“[The year] 2024 was a year of continued transformation, accomplishment and setback,” DeJoy said. “We are trying to accomplish what was presumed not accomplishable –– the fixing of the broken Postal Service business model. We march on.”

What is the Postal Service’s current financial status?

The Postal Service is currently implementing a 10-year restructuring plan, announced in 2021, aiming to eliminate $160 billion in predicted losses over the next decade. The agency now projects $80 billion in losses over the period and plans further cuts to address the shortfall.

DeJoy has faced criticism in Congress regarding processing network consolidation plans. In December, he defended the Postal Service’s plan to purchase an increasing number of electric vehicles before the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability after Congress allocated $3 billion for the initiative.  

During that same December hearing, Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., pointed out that despite best efforts, the delivery operation is inefficient and unreliable.

“I remain an advocate for the postal service. Americans rely on the service for critical things like medicine. But nobody is more aware than I am of members expressing concerns and frustration about the postal service,” Comer said. “I can’t go to the bathroom without a senator or representative stopping me and giving me a postal service horror story. Are we going to improve service and cut losses? That should be the goal of the Postal Service.”

How many Americans are using the Postal Service?

First-class mail volume continues to decline, dropping 3.6% year-over-year to 44.3 billion pieces. First-class mail use is down 80% since 1997 and is at its lowest level since 1968.

In September, the Postal Service announced it would not hike stamp prices in January for the first time in two years. However, in July, the price of a first-class mail stamp was raised to 73 cents from 68 cents, as overall prices for mailing services increased by 7.8%.

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What is DeJoy’s legacy?

DeJoy, a prominent fundraiser for Trump, has ruffled feathers on both sides of the aisle.

Last year, he was criticized by both Republicans and Democrats for blocking lawmakers from visiting U.S. postal facilities. Democrats were also sharply critical of how DeJoy led the agency during the pandemic, including clashes over the deliverability of mail ballots in 2020.

While the president does not appoint the postmaster, DeJoy’s departure grants Trump an opportunity to influence the leadership of an agency crucial to the country’s everyday life.