President Joe Biden on Friday nominated two members to the United States Postal Service Board of Governors, giving the president an opportunity to reshape the recently maligned postal service's leadership.

What You Need To Know

  • President Joe Biden on Friday nominated two members to the U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors, allowing him to reshape the makeup of the USPS' leadership and replace two allies of Postmaster General Louis DeJoy

  • Biden nominated Dan Tangherlini, former administrator of the General Services Administration under the Obama administration, to replace Bloom, and Republican Derek Kan, who served as deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget under former President Donald Trump, to replace Barger

  • The board consists of up to nine governors selected by the president; No more than five governors can be from the same party

  • Earlier this year, Biden nominated Anton Hajjar, former general counsel of the American Postal Workers Union, and Amber McReynolds, who heads up the National Vote at Home Institute, which seeks to expand voting by mail, to serve on the board

The move by Biden also allows the president to replace two key allies of embattled Postmaster General Louis DeJoy: Republican John Barger and Democrat Ron Bloom, who chairs the board.

Only the United States Postal Service Board of Governors has the right to oust DeJoy. 

Democrats have accused DeJoy, a major Republican booster prior to his current position, of intentionally slowing mail down in the run-up to the 2020 presidential election, which utllized widespread voting by mail due to the COVID-19 pandemic. DeJoy has vehemently denied the accusations.

The White House spokeswoman on Friday did not say that the president wishes to see the postmaster general replaced, but she did say he remains concerned about his performance.

“We … continue to be deeply troubled, as many Americans are, by the early reporting on Postmaster General DeJoy’s potential financial conflicts of interest and take serious issues with the job he's doing running the postal pervice," said press secretary Jen Psaki. “It's up to the board to make a determination about leadership, but we have continued concerns about the postmaster general's leadership.”

Biden nominated Dan Tangherlini, former administrator of the General Services Administration under the Obama administration, to replace Bloom, and Republican Derek Kan, who served as deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget under former President Donald Trump, to replace Barger. Kan also served as a policy adviser to Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.

Psaki on Friday called them both "experienced public servants."

"The USPS serves hundreds of millions of Americans across the nation every day," the White House wrote in a statement. "President Biden is committed to supporting USPS workers so that they can continue delivering for their fellow Americans, particularly those in rural communities, veterans, and older Americans who rely so heavily on the Postal Service."

"President Biden is also committed to strengthening and modernizing this critical public institution and its services to ensure it continues serving the American people for decades to come," the statement continues.

Bloom in particular has drawn consternation from Democrats in Congress over his support for DeJoy's policies which have slowed mail delivery and raised prices on a number of services.

A number of Democratic lawmakers have called for Bloom's removal, including Sens. Kirstin Gillibrand, D-N.Y., Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisc.

Following Biden's announcement, Reps. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., chair of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, Gerry Connolly, D-Va., Chairman of the Subcommittee on Government Operations, and Brenda Lawrence, D-Mich., applauded the president's pick to replace Bloom, urging the board to hold DeJoy accountable.

"Under Postmaster General DeJoy, the Postal Service lost focus on its core mission—to serve the American people by delivering the mail on-time at an affordable rate," Maloney said. "It is my hope that Mr. Tangherlini, along with the rest of the Board of Governors, will begin to hold the Postmaster General accountable for the damage that has been done to the Postal Service’s operations and credibility."

"This action is a good thing for the Postal Service and, most importantly, a great thing for the American people," Connolly said in a statement.

“We need to hold Postmaster General DeJoy accountable for lowering service standards and undermining the Postal Service’s mission of prompt and reliable service,” said Rep. Lawrence. “I welcome President Biden’s nomination of Daniel Tangherlini to the Board of Governors, and I look forward to working with him on strengthening the Postal Service and supporting our essential workers."

"During a time when so many Americans rely on this critical agency, we need leaders who will fight for its mission — not against it," she added.

The board consists of up to nine governors selected by the president; No more than five governors can be from the same party. Nominees require Senate confirmation before joining the board of governors.

Earlier this year, Biden nominated Anton Hajjar, former general counsel of the American Postal Workers Union, and Amber McReynolds, who heads up the National Vote at Home Institute, which seeks to expand voting by mail, to serve on the board. They were both confirmed by the Senate and began their terms in June.

The current makeup of the board is four Democrats and four Republicans, with McReynolds serving as an independent. McReynolds is the only female member of the board, and the first member with experience in elections and voting.