Why Biden Cant Fire Postmaster General Louis DeJoy
Trying to force DeJoy out could lead to constitutional chaos.
BY AARON MAK AND MARK JOSEPH STERN
FEB 08, 20216:07 PM
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2021/02/biden-cannot-fire-usps-louis-dejoy.html
snip...
If DeJoy served at the pleasure of the president, Biden surely wouldve fired him on Day One. But he doesnt. The problem, ironically, originates from Congress desire to insulate USPS from politics. For most of American history, the Postal Service played an integral role in the spoils system, and postmaster general was a plum post for an ally of the president. In 1970, Congress overhauled the structure of the Postal Service to end this sordid tradition of patronage by giving the agency substantial independence.
To oversee USPSs activities, Congress established a nine-member board of governors who are nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate. No more than five members of the board may belong to the same political party. Once confirmed to the board, governors can only be removed by the president for cause; that means their jobs are safe unless the president can show that they engaged in malfeasance or extreme neglect of duty. The board of governors, in turn, selects the postmaster general, who is not subject to Senate approval. And once appointed, the postmaster general can only be removed by the board, though it need not justify its decision.
There's quite a bit more explanation at the link.