SEE IT THAT BLATANT.
RARE TO SEE IT THAT BLATANT.
BUT YOU KNOW, THATS HOW THINGS
HAVE BEEN GOING.
ITS A BLESSING AND A CURSE OF
THIS TIME THAT WE HAVE JUST BEEN
THROUGH IN HISTORY THAT YOU
DONT EXACTLY HAVE TO SQUINT TO
SEE, RIGHT?
ITS ALL CAPS, OUT LOUD, WITH AN
EXCLAMATION POINT. NOTHING SUBTLE.
NOTHING SUBTLE.
BUT OF ALL OF THE SCANDAL UPON
SCANDAL UPON SCANDAL AND THE
PEOPLE CLOSE TO THE PRESIDENT
GOING TO PRISON, RIGHT?
AND THE HORRIFYING
IRRESPONSIBILITY OF THE WAY
GOVERNANCE WAS HANDLED AND THE
MALEVOLENCE AND FAILURE AND THE
MISMANAGEMENT OF ALL THAT WE
HAVE BEEN THROUGH THE PAST FEW
YEARS.
IT DOES, STILL, BOGGLE THE MIND
THAT ONE OF THE THINGS WE HAD TO
RALLY TO AS A NATION.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE HAD TO
RALLY, AS A NATION, TO DEFEND
FROM WHAT THEY WERE TRYING TO DO
TO IT WAS THE POST OFFICE.
I MEAN, WHO HAS IT OUT FOR THE
POST OFFICE?
REALLY?
I MEAN, LIKE, AS GOVERNMENT
AGENCIES GO, ITS, LIKE,
KITTENS.
YOU KNOW?
LIKE SERIOUSLY, YOURE AFTER THE
MAIL?
YOURE AFTER LETTER CARRIERS?
YOUR FRIENDLY, LITTLE, WHITE
JEEPS, HOW YOU DOING, MRS.
DAVIS?
I GOT YOUR MAIL HERE.
YEAH.
THEY CAME FOR THE POST OFFICE.
HEADING INTO THE 2020 ELECTION,
AS PRESIDENT TRUMP STARTED
SEEDING THE IDEA WITH HIS
SUPPORTERS THAT THE ELECTION
WOULD BE ILLEGITIMATE, UNLESS HE
WON.
HE A ATTACKED STATES THAT WERE
EXPANDING VOTING BY MAIL BECAUSE
OF THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC
BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, PRESUMABLY,
THAT WOULD MEAN TOO MANY PEOPLE
VOTING.
HE WARNED THAT REPUBLICANS WOULD
NEVER WIN ANOTHER ELECTION WITH
ALL THE VOTING BY MAIL THAT WAS
GOING TO HAPPEN.
HE THEN STARTED THIS PUBLIC
CRUSADE OF ATTACKING THE POST
OFFICE LIKE IT WAS SOME SORT OF
INHERENTLY SCANDALOUS THING,
RATHER THAN SOMETHING WE HAVE
HAD IN OUR COUNTRY SINCE
LITERALLY THE CONSTITUTION.
THE POST OFFICE FOUNDING -- THE
FOUNDING LANGUAGE FOR THE POST
OFFICE IS IN THE U.S.
CONSTITUTION.
HE RAILED AGAINST THE POST
OFFICE, LIKE IT HAD BEEN
SOMETHING INVENTED BY OBAMA.
HE HAD PROPOSED MASSIVE CUTS TO
THE POST OFFICES BUDGET JUST
AHEAD OF THE ELECTION.
HE PUT, IN CHARGE OF THE POST
OFFICE, HE MADE POSTMASTER
GENERAL, A MAN WHO HAD TENS OF
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS INVESTED IN
A POSTAL-SERVICE CONTRACTOR.
A MAN, WHO HAD SPENT HIS CAREER
BEFORE HIS APPOINTMENT BUILDING
UP HIS FORTUNE BY RUNNING
COMPANIES THAT CONTRACTED WITH
AND COMPETED WITH THE POST
OFFICE.
IMMEDIATELY AFTER TAKING CONTROL
AT THE POST OFFICE, TRUMPS NEW
POSTMASTER GENERAL INSTITUTED
NEW POLICIES THAT INSTANTLY LED
TO HUGE BACKLOGS IN THE MAIL.
CUTTING THE NUMBER OF TRIPS THAT
MAIL CARRIERS WERE ALLOWED TO
TAKE, FORBIDDING THEM FROM
TAKING ANY EXTRA TRIPS TO MOVE
MAIL EVEN WHEN MAIL WAS LATE.
COMMUNITIES AROUND THE COUNTRY
STARTED FREAKING OUT WHEN THEY
STARTED UNBOLTING OUR
TRADITIONAL-BLUE MAILBOXES FROM
SIDEWALKS AND STREET CORNERS.
PUTTING THEM ON FLATBED TRUCKS
AND TAKING THEM AWAY TO LORD
KNOWS WHERE.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH THE
MAILBOXES?
LOUIS DeJOY, AS TRUMPS
POSTMASTER GENERAL, ORDERED BIG,
EXPENSIVE, IN SOME CASES,
IRREPLACEABLE SORTING MACHINES
THAT HANDLE MILLIONS OF PIECES
OF MAIL, VERY QUICKLY.
HE ORDERED THOSE SORTING
MACHINES REMOVED AND DESTROYED,
STRIPPED AND LEFT OUTSIDE FOR
DEAD.
THE LOUIS DeJOY ORDERED BACKLOGS
IN THE MAIL WERE SO BAD, THE --
THE NEWS WASNT JUST ABOUT
THE -- THE DECLINE THAT YOU
COULD SEE IN THE NUMBERS, IN
TERMS OF ON-TIME DELIVERY OF
REGULAR MAIL AND FIRST-CLASS
MAIL.
IT WAS, ALSO, LIKE, HORROR-STORY
STUFF.
WAREHOUSES OF LATE MAIL BECOMING
BASICALLY HAZMAT SITES.
FOOD THAT HAD BEEN SHIPPED WAS
ROTTING IN THESE HUGE PILES OF
UNDELIVERED BOXES AS THE MAIL
STACKED UP AND UP AND UP.
EVEN LIVESTOCK, ANIMALS SHIPPED
OVERNIGHT, ENDING UP DEAD IN
TRANSIT WHILE THE MAIL BACKLOG
BUILT UP AND UP AND UP AND THE
PACKAGES AND THE ENVELOPES JUST
STACKED UP IN POSTAL-SERVICE
FACILITIES AROUND THE COUNTRY.
WITH LOUIS DeJOY FORBIDDING THE
POSTAL SERVICE TO DO WHAT THEY
NEEDED TO DO TO DELIVER THEM.
WHAT IS PERHAPS THE MOST AMAZING
THING ABOUT THIS STORY, THOUGH.
EVEN ABOVE AND BEYOND THE FACT
THAT AMERICANS HAD TO RALLY TO
TRY TO DEFEND THE POST OFFICE?
IN THE MIDDLE OF EVERYTHING ELSE
WE WERE FACING AS A COUNTRY LAST
YEAR?
REALLY?
THE MOST AMAZING THING ABOUT
THIS WHOLE STORY.
HONESTLY, LOOKING BACK AT IT
TODAY, IS THAT THE DUDES STILL
THERE.
HES STILL THERE.
HES STILL RUNNING IT.
EVEN AFTER THE COUNTRY LOST ITS
MIND, INCLUDING BUSINESSES, WHO
WERE REALLY HURT BY THEIR
SHIPPING AND OTHER MAILING
GETTING ALL SCREWED UP.
EVEN AFTER THE COUNTRY LOST ITS
MIND OVER DeJOYS DELIBERATE
SABOTAGE AT THE POST OFFICE.
HIS DELIBERATE SLOWDOWN AND
BOTTLENECKING OF ALL THE MAIL
AND THE PACKAGES.
EVEN AFTER THE CONFLICTS OF
INTEREST HE HAD WERE EXPOSED.
WITH HIM MAINTAINING TENS OF
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF
ACTIVE-INVESTMENT MONEY IN A
COMPANY DOING BUSINESS WITH THE
AGENCY HE WAS THEN RUNNING.
HE HELD ON TO THOSE INVESTMENTS
FOR MONTHS AFTER HE WAS RUNNING
THAT AGENCY.
EVEN AFTER "THE WASHINGTON POST"
EXPOSED HIM AS THE NEW AGNEW.
LITERALLY, USING THAT SAME, DUMB
TRICK, WHERE YOU MAKE THE
EMPLOYEES HANDLE THE CASH.
RIGHT?
THROUGH THEIR OWN BANK ACCOUNTS
AND YOU COVER IT UP WITH BONUS
PAYMENTS TO THEM.
AND HEY, NOBODY WILL NOTICE.
EVEN AFTER WE LEARNED THAT
THATS APPARENTLY HOW HE
LAUNDERED THE GAZILLIONS OF
DOLLARS HE PAID TO REPUBLICAN
POLITICIANS.
AND HOW THOSE DONATIONS WERE, IN
FACT, HOW HE GOT HIMSELF
APPOINTED BY TRUMP TO RUN THE
POST OFFICE.
AND TO RUN IT INTO THE GROUND.
EVEN AFTER ALL OF THAT, RIGHT
NOW, AS WE SIT HERE TONIGHT,
DUDE IS STILL THERE.
THE DUDE IS STILL RUNNING THE
POST OFFICE.
HE IS STILL POSTMASTER GENERAL,
EVEN AFTER ALL THAT.
BECAUSE OF THE WAY THAT THAT
PART OF THE GOVERNMENT IS
STRUCTURED, PRESIDENT BIDEN
CANT NECESSARILY, JUST FIRE
LOUIS DeJOY AND BE DONE WITH IT.
NOW, IF MR. DeJOY WERE EVER
INDICTED FOR THE FAKE-BONUS
SCHEME, WOULD THAT CHANGE?
WOULD HE THEN BECOME FIREABLE
UNDER THE RULES THAT GOVERN
THESE THINGS?
I DONT KNOW.
ITS NEVER COME UP BEFORE.
BUT THAT HASNT HAPPENED, AT
THIS POINT.
WE DONT KNOW.
BUT THE GUY IS STILL THERE.
AND EVEN SINCE PRESIDENT BIDEN
HAS BEEN IN OFFICE, HE IS STILL
PROPOSING AND ENACTING EVEN MORE
CUTS TO THE POST OFFICE THAN
WHAT HE DID LAST YEAR.
ITS JUST ASTONISHING.
BUT NOW, HAPPY FRIDAY NIGHT.
FINALLY, AFTER ALL THIS TIME, IT
WOULD APPEAR THAT THE BIDEN
ADMINISTRATION HAS FINALLY
FIGURED OUT HOW THEY MIGHT SOLVE
FORGIVE ME FOR SAYING SO BUT
FROM THE POST OFFICE
PERSPECTIVE, THE CURRENT
POSTMASTER GENERAL HAS BEEN A
BIT OF A HUMAN WRECKING BALL.
PRESIDENT BIDEN IS IN THE
PROCESS OF FILLING ALL OF THE
VACANT GOVERNOR SEATS ON THE
POSTAL SERVICE BOARD.
THERE IS A NOMINEE FOR THAT SEAT
AWAITING FINAL CONFIRMATION.
WHEN THAT SEAT IS FILLED, THE
MAJORITY OF THE SEATS ON THE
POSTAL SERVICE BOARD WILL BE
HELD BY OR APPOINTED BY
DEMOCRATS.
INCLUDING, INDEPENDENT AMBER
McREYNOLDS.
THAT MEANS MS. McREYNOLDS AND
HER NEW COLLEAGUES WILL HAVE
SOME VERY CONSEQUENTIAL
DECISIONS TO MAKE IN VERY SHORT
AERD
ORDER.
JOINING US NOW, AMBER
McREYNOLDS.
THEM EVERY SINGLE DAY WHERE WE
HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO.
>> ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I
THINK WAS JUST A -- SORT OF A
SHOCKING TURN INTO THE PUBLIC
SPHERE LAST YEAR.
WAS WHEN AMERICANS ACROSS THE
SPECTRUM AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY
FELT LIKE THEY NEEDED TO COME TO
THE DEFENSE OF THE POSTAL
SERVICE.
THE PRESIDENT, AT THE TIME,
LAMBASTING THE POSTAL SERVICE,
DENOUNCING IT AS SOME SORT OF
SCHEME OR SOMETHING STACKED
AGAINST HIM, THAT SHOULD BE DONE
AWAY WITH.
WE SAW DRACONIAN CHANGES TO
POSTAL-SERVICE POLICIES THAT HAD
REAL IMPACT ON THE GROUND, IN
TERMS OF SLOWING DOWN THE MAIL.
AND HURTING A LOT OF BUSINESSES.
FREAKING OUT A LOT OF PEOPLE IN
THE COUNTRY IN TERMS OF WHAT WAS
GOING TO HAPPEN WITH OUR BALLOT
APPLICATIONS AND OUR BALLOTS
WHEN IT CAME TO VOTING BY MAIL.
IN ADDITION TO EVERYTHING ELSE
WE DO BY MAIL.
I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE
COUNTRY RIGHT NOW ARE SURPRISED
TO KNOW THAT THE POSTMASTER
GENERAL, FROM THAT ERA, IS STILL
IN PLACE.
AND I THINK PEOPLE ARE WORRIED
THAT HIS POLICIES MIGHT HAVE
PERMANENTLY SORT OF KNEE CAPPED
THE POSTAL SERVICE SO THAT ITS
NOT GOING TO BE ABLE, ANYTIME
SOON, TO GET BACK TO THE LEVELS
OF SERVICE THAT WE WERE USED TO.
AND TO IT BEING A
NONCONTROVERSIAL, WELL-SUPPORTED
PART OF AMERICAN-PUBLIC LIFE.
I GUESS, I WANT TO ASK, GIVEN
YOUR INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT ROLE
NOW IN THE POSTAL SERVICE BOARD
OF GOVERNORS, IF YOU FEEL THAT?
IF YOU ARE AWARE OF THAT
CONSTERNATION IN THE COUNTRY?
AND IF YOU CAN GIVE PEOPLE ANY
ASSURANCE THAT THESE THINGS
MIGHT GET BETTER?
>> WELL, I AM CERTAINLY AWARE OF
IT.
AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT
THERES A CULMINATION OF ISSUES
THAT OCCURRED.
THE PANDEMIC, CERTAINLY, BEING
ONE OF THEM.
I MEAN, THE POSTAL SERVICE HAS A
FRONTLINE CRITICAL
INFRASTRUCTURE WORKFORCE THAT
CONTINUED TO DELIVER MAIL AND
PACKAGES.
PACKAGES, BY THE WAY, IN RECORD
NUMBERS.
AND BECAUSE THEYVE, YOU KNOW, A
LOT OF THAT EQUIPMENT HAS BEEN
UNDERINVESTED IN, ESPECIALLY ON
THE PACKAGE FRONT, THERE WERE
BACKLOGS.
AND BUSINESSES EXPERIENCED THAT.
AND PEOPLE EXPERIENCED THAT WITH
THEIR MEDICATIONS.
AND SO, THOSE ARE THINGS THAT,
NOW -- NOW THAT THE TEN-YEAR
PLAN HAS BEEN -- HAS BEEN PUT
OUT THERE.
ONCE IM -- ONCE I JOIN THE
BOARD AND HAVE, OBVIOUSLY, MORE
ACCESS TO THE INFORMATION THAT
CURRENT-BOARD MEMBERS HAVE,
THOSE ARE -- THOSE ARE THINGS
THAT IM GOING TO, CERTAINLY,
FOCUS ON IN TERMS OF SERVICE.
BECAUSE SERVICE HAS TO BE
EFFECTIVE.
IT HAS TO BE UNIVERSAL.
THE POSTAL SERVICE IS ONE OF OUR
MOST ADMIRED INSTITUTION --
INSTITUTIONS.
IT CONNECTS BUSINESSES AND
COMMERCE TO PEOPLE AND
CUSTOMERS.
IT CONNECTS GOVERNMENT TO PEOPLE
AND SERVICES AND VICE VERSA.
AND IT ENSURES THAT PEOPLE CAN
ACCESS THEIR MEDICATION.
AND IN SOME PARTS OF THE
COUNTRY, LIKE ALASKA, AND I JUST
SPOKE TO SENATOR MURKOWSKI ABOUT
THIS, PEOPLE RELY ON THE POSTAL
SERVICE AS THEIR GROCERY STORE,
THEIR HARDWARE STORE, THEIR
BANK, AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
THEIR -- THEIR VOTE-BY-MAIL
BALLOTS AND ELECTION INFORMATION
AND THAT POST OFFICE IS A
LIFELINE TO MANY COMMUNITIES
AROUND THE COUNTRY.
AND SO, IT HAS TO BE EFFECTIVE.
AND ITS IN THE CONSTITUTION
THAT IT NEEDS TO DELIVER A
UNIVERSAL SERVICE.
AND SO, SERVICE IS ONE OF MY KEY
PRIORITIES.
ITS BEEN MY PRIORITY IN THE
ELECTION-ADMINISTRATION WORLD.
THE PARALLELS BETWEEN THE POSTAL
SERVICE AND ELECTION
ADMINISTRATION ARE VERY OBVIOUS.
THERES BEEN A LACK OF
INVESTMENT IN TECHNOLOGY AND
INNOVATION, OVER TIME.
THERE IS OFTEN FUNDING ISSUES,
WHICH IS THE SAME IN ELECTION
ADMINISTRATION.
THERES SEASONAL WORKFORCE
ISSUES.
SO, THE -- THE SORT OF EXPANSION
AND RETRACTION.
BOTH OF THOSE THINGS ARE -- ARE
PARALLEL IN BOTH OF THOSE
WORLDS.
AND THEN, OF COURSE, THERES
POLICY ISSUES.
THERES POLICIES THAT HAVE TIED
THE POSTAL SERVICE TO NOT BEING
ABLE TO -- TO KEEP UP
FINANCIALLY.
AND WE HAVE TO ADDRESS THOSE
THINGS.
AND -- AND I LOOK FORWARD TO
JOINING THE BOARD.
TO THINK ABOUT THESE THINGS IN A
CREATIVE AND STRATEGIC WAY.
AND CERTAINLY, BRING MY
EXPERTISE, FROM THE
ELECTION-ADMINISTRATION WORLD,
BECAUSE I TRULY BELIEVE THERES
A WHOLE -- A WHOLE HOST OF
OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE POSTAL
SERVICE TO FURTHER IMPROVE THEIR
OPERATIONS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH