There have been fresh calls for Postmaster General Louis DeJoy to be fired after the Senate voted overwhelmingly in favor of a bipartisan bill to reform the U.S. Postal Service (USPS).
Senators passed the Postal Service Reform Act of 2022 by a vote of 79 to 19 on Tuesday. The bill had previously passed the House of Representatives by 342 votes to 92.
DeJoy pushed for the passage of the reform bill and welcomed the Senate vote-but there were renewed calls for him to be removed on Tuesday.
The reform act will require six-day-a-week postal delivery and reverses a requirement that USPS pre-fund its health benefit obligations. That requirement had raised concerns about USPS’ ability to fund its long-term operations.
Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) took to Twitter on Monday to announce the passage of the bill and set his sights on DeJoy.
“The Senate just passed the Postal Service Reform Act, a key step to saving the USPS, which Oregonians and folks across the country rely on to pay bills, vote by mail, and receive essential goods, like medicine,” Merkley wrote.
“Next step: remove Louis DeJoy!” he added.
DeJoy was appointed postmaster general in June 2020 during the Trump administration and has proven a controversial figure, often facing criticism from Democrats.
DeJoy ordered postal workers to slow down the delivery of mail in the summer of 2020, which led to accusations that he was attempting to undermine vote-by-mail ahead of the 2020 presidential election. The Postal Service has struggled with on-time delivery during his tenure.
He has also recently faced criticism for a plan to purchase new gas-powered delivery vehicles rather than opting for electric vehicles, which the Biden administration has been encouraging.
Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) also suggested now was the time to remove DeJoy.
“Proud the Senate got this done to reform our Postal Service which servicemembers, seniors and all Americans rely on for the timely delivery of medicines, bills and much more. Now would be a good time to also fire DeJoy to #SaveUSPS for future generations,” Duckworth tweeted.
Senator Jon Tester (D-MT) did not immediately call for DeJoy’s ousting on Tuesday but he welcomed the passage of the reform bill and wrote “I’m not going anywhere when it comes to holding the @USPS and Postmaster General Louis DeJoy accountable.”
Jon Cooper, former Long Island campaign chairman for former President Barack Obama, tweeted: “Is now a good time to fire Louis DeJoy?”
Former federal prosecutor Shanlon Wu highlighted President Joe Biden‘s decision to ban Russian oil imports and tweeted: “While we’re at it let’s cancel Louis DeJoy as Postmaster General & appoint someone without a vested interest in politicizing US Postal Service & someone without dozens of financial conflicts of interest.”
DeJoy reportedly lobbied Republican senators in person to vote for the Postal Service Reform Act and he welcomed its passage in a statement on Tuesday.
“With the legislative financial reforms achieved today, combined with our own self-led operational reforms, we will be able to self-fund our operations and continue to deliver to 161 million addresses six days per-week for many decades to come,” DeJoy said.
When reached for comment by Newsweek on early Wednesday morning, USPS pointed to Tuesday’s statement about the postal reform bill.
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