Letter to Louis Dejoy, Postmaster General - Rep. Mike Levin Presses Postmaster General DeJoy for Answers on Impacts to Veteran Hiring at Weakened USPS

Letter

Dear Postmaster General:
I write today to express significant concern regarding the impact of the Coronavirus Disease 2019
(COVID-19) pandemic on veteran hiring and employment at the United States Postal Service (USPS). I
recently stood with Robert Daniels, a veteran and former postal worker in my district, who shared his
story and highlighted that neither Marines nor Postal workers are trained to quit. It is my hope that the
USPS won't quit on people like Robert and we can ensure they are able to keep their jobs and feed their
families during this challenging time.
As Chair of the House Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity and the representative
for Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, one of my top priorities is working to support veterans,
servicemembers, and their families. The USPS is one of our country's leading employers of veterans, with
nearly 100,000 heroes on its payroll. These numbers are in part due to USPS's use of policies that
prioritize hiring of veterans. The employment opportunities offered by USPS are particularly critical for
servicemembers transitioning from military to civilian life during the current economic crisis.
According to the Associated Press, the post office is expecting more than $22 billion in losses over the
next 18 months, and mail volume has decreased by 30 percent since the onset of the pandemic.1
I am
concerned the USPS's fiscal losses may hurt current veterans employed at USPS and future employment
opportunities for servicemembers. With this in mind, I urgently request the following information:
1. Please provide the most recent veteran hiring data available, along with a comparison to previous
years.
2. Since the onset of the pandemic, how many veteran employees have been furloughed?
3. What resources, if any, are you providing to furloughed workers, including furloughed veterans
who may need additional assistance?
4. Of those who have been furloughed how many have been allowed to return to work?
5. If Congress were to appropriate emergency relief for the USPS, as requested by the Board of
Governors, how would staff furloughs be impacted?
Thank you for your prompt response to these questions on behalf of those who have served our nation.

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