Two outgoing legislative incumbents are vying for slots on the USPS board

Two Democratic lawmakers who will no longer serve in Congress next year are looking to the U.S. Postal Service to continue their careers in the federal government.

Reps. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., and Brenda Lawrence, D-Mich., have both thrown their names into the White House’s hat as it considers potential replacements for two of the nine appointed seats on the USPS board. According to several people involved in those discussions, Maloney and Lawrence have contacted postal unions and managers’ associations to solicit support for their bids, and some background checks are underway.

The terms of two current board members, Lee Mock and Bill Zolars, are set to expire on Dec. 8, although both are eligible to stay on for a “transition year.” President Biden may also choose to renominate one or both governors to seven-year terms. Each of the president’s postal board nominees must be confirmed by the Senate.

Maloney currently chairs the House Oversight and Reform Committee, where he has introduced a major postal reform bill into law for the first time in 15 years. Her bill, for which she won bipartisan and bicameral support, finally passed this year after lawmakers tried and failed to pass similar legislation for the past decade. The measure is expected to provide $107 billion in financial relief to the USPS in the coming years. Maloney lost her primary this year after being forced to run against another incumbent, Congressman Jerry Nadler, D-NY, due to redistricting.

According to many people she spoke with, the 30-year-old lawmaker made her case for a seat on the board to stakeholders by touting the passage of the bill and her work to ensure the USPS buys more electric vehicles as it replaces its aging car fleet. Maloney sometimes clashed with Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, but has softened some of his language since working to win his support for his reform legislation.

“The congresswoman is exploring many options for how best to continue serving New York and the nation as she determines her next steps after Congress,” a spokesperson said. “While she is not ready to make any formal announcements about her next steps, she will build on her prolific career as a public servant to continue helping New Yorkers.”

Lawrence will also come to the position with extensive knowledge of postal operations, having worked at the agency for 30 years. The lawmaker initially expressed reservations about the reform bill, citing concerns that it would allow the USPS to lower service standards, but ultimately voted in favor of it.

Ivan Butts, president of the National Association of Postal Supervisors, said his group supports Lawrence’s candidacy. In addition to recently confirmed Ronald Stroman, whom Biden nominated to the postal board after serving as deputy postmaster general, Butts said Lawrence will bring experience to the panel that no one else on it has. While Butts said he appreciates what Maloney has done in bringing about postal reform, Lawrence maintains a deeper understanding of the organization.

Multiple sources have confirmed that Lawrence has gone through pre-screening for a potential nomination.

“As a 30-year veteran of the United States Postal Service, I have served as a distribution clerk, letter carrier, EEO investigator and human resources manager,” said Lawrence Executive authority. “The House Oversight and Reform Committee was my first committee assignment because it has jurisdiction over the US Postal Service. After nearly a decade in Congress, I have never wavered in my commitment to the Postal Service.

Some stakeholders are more concerned about Lawrence, noting that she previously worked in human resources and therefore took hostile positions against employees when she represented management. Meanwhile, people in the postal industry suggest that Maloney or Lawrence are likely to continue the trend of allowing significant price increases. Mike Plunkett, president of PostCom, said he is working with other industry groups to potentially identify other viable candidates, but they have not yet submitted recommendations.

While Biden could re-nominate Moak or Zollars, both were appointed by President Trump and the White House may be looking to put its stamp on the board. Five of the nine current board members were nominated by Biden, including one Republican and one independent.

Moak is a Democrat who was recommended for the post by Senate Democrats, although he expressed support for DeJoy’s vision for the agency. While he was a union leader as president of the Air Line Pilots Association, some observers expressed concern about his connection to Trump’s orbit. As the first reported by CNBC, Stefan Passantino, a former Trump White House deputy counsel, provided legal services to the board member’s public affairs consulting firm, the Moak Group, worth more than $5,000, according to Passantino’s ethics filing. Passantino subsequently worked for the Trump Organization and at a firm that received $1.6 million by the former president’s political action committees to testify before the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 riots at the Capitol.

Moak did not respond to questions about the nature of his work with Passantino.

Both Moak and Zolars are eligible to remain in their positions for up to one year after their terms expire, but will be replaced as soon as the new nominees are confirmed and sworn in. Federal law requires that no more than five board members be from the same party. The board’s current makeup includes four Democrats, four Republicans and one independent, meaning Biden could nominate two Democrats — Maloney and Lawrence, for example — if he chooses not to renominate either Moak or Zollars. Such an approach could complicate the confirmation process if it continues next year and Republicans take control of the chamber, as the new majority party could demand a bipartisan slate.

This story has been updated with a comment from Congressman Lawrence.