Postal Service Board of Governors

The Board of Governors of the U.S. Postal Service (hereinafter, the Board) was created by the Postal Reorganization Act in 1970 (PRA, 39 U.S. C. §202). The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) describes the Board as " comparable to a board of directors of a private corporation ." Additionally, the Board includes the Postmaster General, who is appointed, or may be removed, by the Governors, and the Deputy Postmaster General, who is appointed, or may be removed, by both the Governors and the Postmaster General. The Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act (PAEA, P.L. 109-435 ) reduced the Governors' staggered terms to seven years. Similarly, the Deputy Postmaster General is only appointed, or may be removed by the Postmaster General and the Governors. No term limits exist for either the Postmaster General or Deputy Postmaster General. It is unclear whether the appointment or removal clauses of 39 U.S.C. §202 could operate as written, given the Board's current composition. Current and Former Members of the Board

As of the date of this report, the Board has no Governors. The Board's membership as a whole includes the Postmaster General, Megan J. Brennan, and the Deputy Postmaster General, Ronald A. Stroman. In the 115 th Congress, President Trump sent four nominations for Governors of the USPS to the Senate on October 30, 2017. Responsibilities of the Governors Compared with Those of the Board

Although many authorities and responsibilities are given to the Board, certain matters are reserved for decision by the Governors alone. However, under 39 U.S.C. § 205 , vacancies may not prevent the Board from conducting its business as long as there is a quorum of members. Just prior to the loss of its quorum, the Board adopted a resolution delegating its authority to a Temporary Emergency Committee (TEC) , in order to "provide for continuity of [postal] operations" in light of the loss of a Board quorum. Further, unlike the loss of quorum, the loss of the final Governor leaves the USPS without legal authority for several actions that must be authorized by the Governors. The Board will continue without a quorum until four or more Governors have been confirmed.
Unlike other executive agencies, the United States Postal Service is governed not by a single presidentially appointed, Senate-confirmed agency head, but rather by an entity known as the Board of Governors. The Board of Governors of the U.S. Postal Service (hereinafter, the Board) was created by the Postal Reorganization Act in 1970 (PRA, 39 U.S.C. §202). The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) describes the Board as "comparable to a board of directors of a private corporation."
As currently constructed under the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006 (PAEA, P.L. 109-435), the Board consists of the Postmaster General, the Deputy Postmaster General, and nine Governors, appointed to staggered terms of seven years. The Governors appoint, or may remove, the Postmaster General; the Deputy Postmaster General is appointed, or may be removed, by both the Governors and the Postmaster General. Currently, there are no Senate-confirmed Governors and the only members on the Board are the Postmaster General and the Deputy Postmaster General. It is unclear whether the appointment or removal clauses of 39 U.S.C. §202 could operate as written, given the Board's current composition. President Trump sent four Governor nominations to the Senate on October 30, 2017; however, as of the date of this report, none of the nominations have been confirmed.
Under 39 U.S.C. §205, vacancies may not prevent the Board from conducting its business as long as there is a quorum of members. Without any appointed Governors, the Board cannot have a quorum. Just prior to the loss of its quorum, the Board adopted a resolution delegating its authority to a Temporary Emergency Committee (TEC), in order to "provide for continuity of [postal] operations." The Board will continue without a quorum until four or more Governors have been confirmed.
Although the Board, as a whole, has many authorities and responsibilities, certain matters are reserved for decision by the Governors alone. The lack of any appointed Governors leaves the USPS without legal authority for actions that must be authorized by the Governors, such as
the establishment of rates and classes of competitive products; the adjustment of rates for market dominant products; and setting compensation for the Postmaster General and Deputy Postmaster General.