- The U.S. Postal Service will seek the help of the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency and General Services Administration in making future cuts. Among them, 10,000 workers may be on the chopping block.
- Postmaster General Louis DeJoy alerted Congress about the reductions in a letter.
- Critics are worried that the cuts might be a move toward privatization of the USPS, which some believe would be harmful to people who live in rural areas and rely on the Postal Service for everything from mail to medication.
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While many cuts by the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and Office of Personnel Management have been met with resistance and lawsuits, one entity is seeking assistance from DOGE. The U.S. Postal Service says it needs help addressing its problems.
What types of cuts are planned at the USPS?
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, in a letter to Congress, said that the USPS plans to cut 10,000 workers and billions of dollars from the Postal Service’s budget by working with DOGE.
DOGE, along with the General Services Administration, will assist USPS in dealing with what DeJoy calls “big problems” in order to further efficiency. He listed mismanagement of the agency’s retirement assets, the Workers Compensation Program and a host of regulatory requirements among the issues that must be addressed.
How many people work for the Postal Service?
The Postal Service takes up about $78 billion per year, and employs about 640,000 workers. DeJoy said working with DOGE and the GSA is “an effort aligned with our efforts,” and that there is much more to be done.
What is some of the reaction to the impending cuts?
Critics believe that the cuts will have a negative impact across the country. Rep. Gerald Connolly, D-Va., said that there will be catastrophic consequences, especially for people who live in rural areas and rely on the Postal Service to deliver mail, medication, ballots and more.
The president of the National Association of Letter Carriers, Brian Renfroe, told The Associated Press in a statement that common-sense solutions are needed, not privatization efforts, and that he believes the cuts would threaten jobs and the service itself.
Last month, President Donald Trump suggested that he might try to put control of the USPS under the Commerce Department.
What happens next?
The planned 10,000 job cuts would take place over the next 30 days through voluntary early retirement, according to DeJoy.
