Postmaster general gets grilled during Senate panel on Postal Service changes

During a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing, Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., questions Postmaster General Louis DeJoy about changes to the U.S. Postal Service.

Video Transcript

JACKY ROSEN: Before developing and implementing policy changes since assuming your role this year, did you conduct any specific analysis on how your changes would impact seniors. Yes or no, sir?

LOUIS DEJOY: So, ma'am, the policy changes that I--

JACKY ROSEN: Yes or no, sir?

LOUIS DEJOY: The policy changes that I embarked upon were not the ones that you identified in your--

JACKY ROSEN: So you didn't do any analysis to see how seniors would be impacted? OK, let's move on. Did you do an analysis to see how veterans might be impacted, knowing-- knowing that so many of our-- actually our postal workers are veterans-- we employ so many veterans-- that they aren't getting their medication, and that they rely on 80%? Did you do a specific analysis to see how veterans would be impacted?

LOUIS DEJOY: The only change that I made, ma'am, was that the trucks leave on time. Theoretically, everyone should have got their mail faster.

JACKY ROSEN: So you can-- can you look me in the eye and all the Nevada veterans in the eye and all the Nevada seniors in the eye and tell us that you will not continue the policies in the future that you know that will harm my seniors, my veterans here in Nevada, and all of our seniors and veterans across this nation? Can you look us in the eye and commit to being sure that they have on time delivery?

LOUIS DEJOY: Well, I'm working towards on time delivery, ma'am, yes, I can commit to that.

JACKY ROSEN: Thank you. And so did you do any analysis about the fees, if mail is late-- the late fees that people would get when they paid their rent or their car payment or their utility bill, if the mail had slowed down, and the impact that the charges and those fees would have on working families? Is there any analysis about the impact of late delivery by you on that, sir? Yes or no, please.

LOUIS DEJOY: The analysis that we did was that if we moved the mail on schedule, that all late deliveries would have been improved. That's the analysis.

JACKY ROSEN: Obviously, that isn't the case, so we need to continue this.

LOUIS DEJOY: For a variety of reasons. For a variety of reasons.

JACKY ROSEN: Did you-- you know our deployed service members routinely cast their ballots by mail. Did you specifically analyze how your policy changes would impact our servicemen and women across this country and across the globe-- how your changes would impact them, sir?

LOUIS DEJOY: Senator, the analysis we did would show that we would improve service to every constituent.

JACKY ROSEN: So that's great. So can you provide me by this Sunday-- if I understand you correctly, you have an analysis that will show that this should have improved it, although we are finding out through thousands and thousands of contacts to our office, to our connections that it has not been the case. So this is, frankly, unacceptable. And I would like to see the analysis that this was based on to our offices by this Sunday. Can you commit to that, sir?

LOUIS DEJOY: No, ma'am.

JACKY ROSEN: Can you commit to providing it to us at all, sir?

LOUIS DEJOY: I can-- I will get back to you on that. I would--

JACKY ROSEN: You cannot commit to providing the American people the analysis that you used to base your decisions on about their very important medications, their social security checks, and all the other things-- you won't commit to the American people to be transparent?

LOUIS DEJOY: Senator, I will go back and get the truck schedule-- the analysis that designed the truck schedule that I directed--

JACKY ROSEN: Can you commit to transparency, sir? That's all I'm asking.

LOUIS DEJOY: We are transparent.

JACKY ROSEN: And that means that you would provide us your analysis. If you're transparent, then ergo, that means you will provide us the data that you used to base these important decisions that impact people's lives. I want you to look in the camera-- there are millions of people watching who are impacted every day by what you do. And please understand that. And so I want you to commit to the American people to transparency and provide us with the data that is being used to create these decisions.

LOUIS DEJOY: Ma'am, I don't not accept the premise, and I will provide you with the transportation schedule that I directed the organization to adhere to. Yes, I will do that.