Contents

• Background: U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors
• Appointments to the Board of Governors
• Appointment of the Governors
• Appointment of the Postmaster General and Deputy Postmaster General
• Members of the Board of Governors
• Current and Former Postal Governors
• Postal Governor Vacancies and Pending Nominees
• Current and Former Postmasters General and Deputy Postmasters General
• Requirements for a Quorum
• Responsibilities of the Governors Compared with Those of the Board
• Responsibilities and Authorities of the Postmaster General and Deputy Postmaster General
• Committees and Activities of the Postal Board of Governors
• Funding and Compensation for Members of the Postal Board of Governors
• Compensation for Postmaster General and Deputy Postmaster General
• Compensation for Postal Governors

Summary

Unlike other executive agencies, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) is governed not by a single presidentially appointed, Senate-confirmed agency head but rather by an entity known as the Board of Governors of the U.S. Postal Service. The board was created by the Postal Reorganization Act in 1970 (PRA, 39 U.S.C. §202). The 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 by a majority vote of the governors in office. The deputy postmaster general is appointed, or may be removed, by a majority vote of the postmaster general and the governors in office. Currently, there are five Senate-confirmed governors. As of the date of this report, there are four postal governor vacancies and two pending nominations.

The former postmaster general stepped down in March 2025, and in May 2025, the postal governors announced the selection of a new postmaster general, who began his tenure on July 15, 2025.

Under Title 39, Section 205, of the U.S. Code, vacancies do not prevent the board from conducting its business so long as there is a quorum of six members. For example, if the postmaster general, deputy postmaster general, and four governors are present, then the board would have a quorum for the transaction of business.

Although the board, as a whole, has many authorities and responsibilities, certain matters are reserved for decision by the governors alone, 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.

Additionally, certain matters are reserved for the postmaster general, such as appointment of the USPS general counsel, chief postal inspector, chief operating officer, executive vice president, and other executive officers.

The postmaster general serves as chief executive officer of USPS and is responsible for the overall operations of USPS. As directed by the board, the postmaster general directs the powers of USPS except for those matters reserved for either the board or the governors. The deputy postmaster general acts as postmaster general during the postmaster general's absence or disability or when the position is vacant. Currently, the deputy postmaster general also serves as the chief human resources officer of USPS.

Background: U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors

The Board of Governors of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) was created by the Postal Reorganization Act in 1970 (PRA, 39 U.S.C. §202). USPS describes the board as "comparable to a board of directors of a private corporation."¹ Guided by statute and its bylaws, the board "directs the exercise of the powers of the Postal Service, reviews the practices and policies of the Postal Service, and directs and controls the expenditures of the Postal Service."²

The board is composed of 11 members: nine governors who are appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate; the postmaster general, who is appointed (and may be removed) by a favorable vote of a majority of the governors in office; and the deputy postmaster general, who is appointed (and may be removed) by a majority vote of the postmaster general and the governors currently in office.³

As noted in a USPS Office of Inspector General white paper, as an executive branch agency, USPS is to be led by presidentially appointed and Senate-confirmed officers.⁴ The nine postal governors serve this role. Unlike the heads of most executive branch agencies, the postal governors do not serve full-time. Instead, the postal governors meet periodically, on a regular schedule, together with the postmaster general and deputy postmaster general.⁵

In addition to their duties on the postal board, the postmaster general and deputy postmaster general each hold full-time positions on the USPS Executive Leadership Team.⁶ Within the Executive Leadership Team, the postmaster general serves as chief executive officer, while the current deputy postmaster general serves as the chief human resources officer.⁷

Appointments to the Board of Governors

Appointment of the Governors

Under the PRA, governors served nine-year terms, with the first nine appointees serving staggered terms of one to nine years. The Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006 (PAEA, P.L. 109-435) reduced the governors' staggered terms to seven years. Additionally, the PAEA requires that governors represent the public interest and that at least four governors be chosen based on their demonstrated ability to manage organizations with at least 50,000 employees. No more than five governors may belong to the same political party.

The President is required by law to consult with the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the minority leader of the House of Representatives, the majority leader of the Senate, and the minority leader of the Senate in selecting a nominee to the Board of Governors. While the statute stipulates that "not more than 5 of [the governors] may be adherents of the same political party," it does not specify an order in which nominations are to be considered and confirmed to satisfy this requirement.⁸

Because USPS governor nominations are advice-and-consent positions, Senate procedural considerations may affect the confirmation process. For example, a governor nomination, like any other measure or matter available for Senate floor consideration, may be the subject of a Senate "hold." Senators place holds to accomplish a variety of purposes—to receive notification of upcoming legislative proceedings, for instance, or to express objections to a particular proposal or executive nomination—but ultimately the decision to honor a hold request, and for how long, rests with the majority leader.⁹

Postal governors may serve a maximum of two terms and may be removed only for cause.¹⁰ A governor may continue to serve an additional "holdover" year following the expiration of his or her term pending the confirmation of a successor.¹¹

Appointment of the Postmaster General and Deputy Postmaster General

Typically, the President appoints an executive agency head with the advice and consent of the Senate. In the case of USPS, however, the postmaster general is appointed, and may be removed, by the governors.¹² Similarly, the deputy postmaster general is appointed and may be removed by the postmaster general and the governors.¹³

The governors set the term for the postmaster general.¹⁴ The governors and postmaster general set the term for the deputy postmaster general.¹⁵ No term limits exist for either the postmaster general or the deputy postmaster general.

Members of the Board of Governors

Current and Former Postal Governors

As of the date of this report, the board has five governors, including four governors appointed by President Biden and one appointed by President Trump.

Table 1 provides information on the current postal governors, listed in order of term expiration.

The term of Governor Roman Martinez IV expired on December 8, 2024. He is currently serving a holdover year, which expires on December 8, 2025.

Figure 1 shows the terms of governors serving at the time the PAEA was enacted and governors appointed or reappointed between enactment of the PAEA and the expiration of Governor James Bilbray's term in 2016. As shown in Figure 1, by the end of his term in 2016, Governor Bilbray was the sole governor on the board.

Figure 1. USPS Governor Terms of Service from Enactment of PAEA to 2016

Source: CRS, using nominations data from Congress.gov and data received via email from U.S. Postal Service on March 16, 2016. Notes: Graphic includes governors serving at the time the PAEA was enacted and governors appointed or reappointed since the PAEA was enacted. (1) These nominations were returned under Senate Rule XXXI at the conclusion of the 114th Congress in 2017. (2) This nomination was withdrawn.

Between December 8, 2016, and August 8, 2018, there were no governors on the board. On October 30, 2017, President Trump submitted two nominees for governor to the Senate.¹⁶ The Senate confirmed both nominees on August 8, 2018. Figure 2 shows the terms of the governors from 2017 to the present.

Figure 2. USPS Governor Terms of Service from 2017 to Present

Source: CRS graphic created using nominations data from Congress.gov. Notes: President Trump submitted two nominations for Duncan to the Senate on October 30, 2017—one for a first term and another for reappointment to a second term. The Senate confirmed Duncan's nomination for a first term on August 28, 2018. The nomination for his reappointment was returned under Senate Rule XXXI at the end of the 115th Congress. He was renominated on January 16, 2019, at the start of the 116th Congress and confirmed for a second term on December 5, 2019. Similarly, Stroman was nominated for both a first term and reappointment to a second term on March 15, 2021. Both nominations were confirmed on May 12, 2021. President Biden submitted nominations for William D. Zollars and Anton G. Hajjar for reappointment following the conclusion of their holdover years. Both nominations were returned under Senate Rule XXXI at the end of the 118th Congress.

Postal Governor Vacancies and Pending Nominees

As of July 21, 2025, there are four postal governor vacancies. In addition, Roman Martinez IV, whose term expired on December 8, 2024, is currently serving a holdover year until his replacement is confirmed. There are currently two pending nominations for postal governor:

• 1. Anthony Lomangino for a term expiring December 8, 2031.¹⁷
• 2. John LaValle for a term expiring December 8, 2030.¹⁸

President Trump nominated Lomangino on June 2, 2025, and LaValle on June 16, 2025. The nominations were received in the Senate and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. As of July 2, 2025, there has been no further action on either nomination.

Current and Former Postmasters General and Deputy Postmasters General

Prior to enactment of the PRA and the establishment of USPS as an independent agency of the executive branch,¹⁹ the postmaster general and deputy postmaster general were presidentially appointed, Senate-confirmed positions.²⁰ Under the PRA, the postmaster general is appointed (and may be removed) by the governors,²¹ while the deputy postmaster general is appointed (and may be removed) by the postmaster general and the governors.²² Since enactment of the PRA in 1970, there have been 15 postmasters general appointed by the governors and 12 deputy postmasters general appointed by the governors and the postmaster general.²³

Former Postmaster General Louis DeJoy retired effective March 24, 2025,²⁴ and on May 9, 2025, the postal governors announced that they had selected David Steiner as the new postmaster general.²⁵ Postmaster General Steiner began his term on July 15.²⁶

Requirements for a Quorum

Under Title 39, Section 205, of the U.S. Code, vacancies do not prevent the board from conducting its business so long as there is a quorum of members. To have a quorum, at least six members of the board must be present (either in person or via teleconference). For example, if the postmaster general, deputy postmaster general, and at least four governors are present, then the board would have a quorum for the transaction of business.

The board was without a quorum from December 8, 2014, through August 20, 2019, when the number of confirmed governors dropped to three. Immediately 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."²⁷ The TEC continued to exercise selected powers until the board had enough governors to constitute a quorum.

The board was also without a quorum from June 1, 2020, through June 18, 2020, following the resignation of the deputy postmaster general. For continuity of operations, the board again delegated its powers to the TEC.²⁸

In 2021, the board updated its bylaws regarding operations in the absence of a quorum.²⁹ The bylaws now read, in part:

When, by reason of death, incapacity, or disruption of transportation and communications, a quorum of the Board of Governors cannot reasonably be assembled, or when vacancies on the Board make it impossible for a quorum to assemble, the remaining members of the Board who are able to assemble are constituted a Temporary Emergency Committee of the Board of Governors.³⁰

Responsibilities of the Governors Compared with Those of the Board

The PRA distinguishes between the authorities and responsibilities of the board and those of the governors. Within postal statutes and regulations, references to the "Governors" indicate the nine presidentially appointed and Senate-confirmed governors, while references to the "Board" indicate the nine governors plus the postmaster general and deputy postmaster general.³¹ Although many authorities and responsibilities are given to the board, certain matters are reserved for decision by the governors alone. Table 4 lists selected matters that are reserved for decision by the governors alone or by the full board.

Responsibilities and Authorities of the Postmaster General and Deputy Postmaster General

While certain matters are reserved for the board or the governors, other matters are reserved for the postmaster general. For example, the postmaster general is responsible for the appointment of the USPS general counsel, chief postal inspector, chief operating officer, executive vice president, and other executive officers.³² Additionally, the postmaster general, together with the commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Secretary of Homeland Security, is responsible for implementing certain provisions of the Synthetics Trafficking and Overdose Prevention Act of 2018 and ensuring USPS compliance with selected requirements of the act.³³

The postmaster general serves as chief executive officer of USPS and is responsible for USPS operations.³⁴ The postmaster general, as directed by the board, directs the powers of USPS except for those matters reserved for either the board or the governors.³⁵ As chief executive officer, the postmaster general is the head of the Executive Leadership Team and is the final decisionmaking authority on matters such as

• dedication of postal facilities by USPS,³⁶
• approval of the use of postal facilities as election polling locations,³⁷ and
• appointment of members of the Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee and final selection of new postage stamp designs.³⁸

Under Title 39, Section 402, of the U.S. Code, the board may delegate to the postmaster general any of its authorities except those that are reserved to the governors.³⁹ Through its bylaws, the board delegated to the postmaster general the authority to "exercise the powers of the Postal Service to the extent that this delegation of authority does not conflict with powers reserved to the Governors or to the Board by law, these bylaws, or resolutions adopted by the Board."⁴⁰ Further, the postmaster general may redelegate those authorities to other USPS officers, employees, or agencies.⁴¹

The deputy postmaster general acts as postmaster general during the postmaster general's absence or disability or when the position is vacant.⁴²

Committees and Activities of the Postal Board of Governors

Title 39, Section 402, of the U.S. Code provides the board with the authority to establish committees to assist in carrying out its duties and functions. The board may also delegate to such committees any authorities not reserved to the governors.⁴³ As of July 2, 2025, the board has four standing committees:

• 1. The Audit and Finance Committee assists in the preparation of financial statements, financial reports, and financial audits.⁴⁴
• 2. The Compensation and Governance Committee reviews proposals related to postal compensation and evaluates policies and practices related to the USPS governance structure.⁴⁵
• 3. The Operations Committee monitors USPS operations and provides guidance on service performance and systemic changes to the postal retail, processing, and delivery networks.⁴⁶
• 4. The Election Mail Committee monitors USPS's election cycle preparations and oversees USPS election mail processes and procedures.⁴⁷

The chairman of the board selects members and a chair for each committee. Any member of the board may serve on a committee, including the postmaster general and deputy postmaster general. However, when a committee considers matters reserved for the governors (e.g., rates for postal products), only the governors may vote. Each committee regularly reports its activities and recommendations to the board either in a written report or oral presentation.

The board provides quarterly open board meetings on USPS's financial status, mail volume trends, and service performance, among other issues. In recent years, the open meetings have included progress reports on the USPS Delivering for America Ten-Year Plan and USPS's Next Generation Delivery Vehicle fleet.

Funding and Compensation for Members of the Postal Board of Governors

Operational expenses for the Postal Board of Governors—including compensation for the postmaster general, deputy postmaster general, and governors—are provided through the Postal Service Fund, which is a revolving fund that consists largely of revenues generated from the sale of postal products and services.⁴⁸

As discussed earlier in this report, the postmaster general and deputy postmaster general hold full-time positions within the USPS Executive Leadership Team. In comparison, the postal governors serve part-time by attending board meetings throughout the year. This difference is reflected in their compensation.

Compensation for Postmaster General and Deputy Postmaster General

The governors set the pay for the postmaster general and deputy postmaster general.⁴⁹ Their pay may include base salaries, bonuses, and performance-based incentive compensation. Both the postmaster general and the deputy postmaster general are eligible for USPS pension and health benefits and may receive additional compensation for things such as travel expenditures and security detail services.

In FY2023, the postmaster general's base salary was $322,055, and the deputy postmaster general's was $309,085.⁵⁰ Total FY2023 compensation for the postmaster general, including incentive compensation and change to pension value, was $533,146.⁵¹ Total compensation for the deputy postmaster general was $847,712, including bonuses, incentive compensation, and a $432,974 change in pension value.⁵²

In FY2024, the postmaster general's base salary was $336,399, and the deputy postmaster general's was $323,077 (an increase of approximately 4.5%).⁵³ Total FY2024 compensation for the postmaster general, including incentive compensation and change to pension value, was $561,051, or an increase of approximately 5.2%.⁵⁴ Total compensation for the deputy postmaster general was $666,582, including bonuses, incentive compensation, and a $232,916 change in pension value. This was a decrease of approximately 21.4%, due almost entirely to the relatively smaller change in pension value compared to FY2023.⁵⁵

Compensation for Postal Governors

Pay for the governors is set by statute at $30,000 per year plus $300 per day for up to 42 meeting days per year.⁵⁶ In FY2024, total pay for each governor ranged from $35,805 to $37,634, or an average of $36,411.⁵⁷ The average pay for the governors was $36,790 in FY2023.⁵⁸ The governors do not receive pension or health benefits.

Footnotes