President Trump's drive to install a new leadership slate at the U.S. Postal Service has run into an unexpected obstacle: a Republican senator from a rural state who says the agency's failures are too severe to ignore.
Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) announced on the Senate floor that he is placing holds on all four of Trump's nominees to the USPS Board of Governors until the agency takes concrete steps to fix mail delivery in his state. The holds threaten to slow confirmation of two nominees—Jeffrey Brodsky and William Gallo—who were expected to move to a floor vote soon.
“I'm placing holds on every nominee for the Postal Service Board of Governors until their leaders take steps to fix mail service in South Dakota,” Rounds said. “I suspect other Senators from rural states may do the same.”
Rounds is demanding that USPS suspend a program that reduced delivery times at rural post offices and collection boxes, guarantee that intrastate mail in South Dakota arrives within one to two days, and commit to implementing recommendations from an ongoing Inspector General investigation expected to be released in September. He also noted that the USPS had instructed employees to hide undelivered mail from inspectors during that probe.
Rounds' office confirmed that they are in talks with the White House over his demands, and a source familiar with the matter said USPS had spoken with all senators or staff who requested meetings, though the number was not specified.
Rounds' objections do not directly address the Postal Service's role in elections, but they come as Trump has made the agency a central piece of his push to reshape voting procedures. In March, Trump signed an executive order directing USPS to implement new standards for mail-in voting, which he has long sought to restrict. The Supreme Court recently lifted a temporary block on that order, ruling that challengers had sued prematurely. USPS has since published its implementation plans, prompting a new lawsuit from Democratic states.
The new board members could influence future policy moves, even if they may not affect the current executive order. The 11-member board oversees USPS policies, and presidents traditionally nominate members in bipartisan pairs. All four of Trump's picks are Republicans, and their confirmation would tilt the board in his favor.
Rounds is not alone in his concerns. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) sharply questioned Postmaster General David Steiner, a Trump appointee, in June over mail delivery problems in Missouri. At a confirmation hearing for the nominees, Hawley pressed them on bonuses awarded to the postmaster general despite budget deficits and rural delivery failures. “Frankly, I think it's indefensible that we're paying out these bonuses when my constituents, who are paying their taxes faithfully and they are paying the postal service, the stamps and everything else, all the rates, they can't get the mail,” Hawley said.
Despite his criticism, Hawley voted to advance the nominees out of committee, and both Brodsky and Gallo cleared the panel on party-line votes. His office did not respond to a request for comment on whether he supports Rounds' holds.
A single senator's hold does not necessarily block confirmation, but it can add delays as the Senate juggles a packed legislative calendar ahead of the midterms. The nominees are likely to be confirmed eventually, but they also faced Democratic opposition during their June hearing before the Senate Homeland Security Committee, where lawmakers questioned their limited postal experience and their views on mail-in voting. Both Gallo and Brodsky eventually said they believed mail-in voting was “safe and secure,” with Brodsky noting he had voted by mail three times.
Democrats also criticized Trump for breaking with tradition by nominating only Republicans. Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.), the top Democrat on the committee, wrote to Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) urging him to stall the nominations until Democratic nominees could be considered. “Given the urgent financial, policy, and service issues facing the USPS and the critical role the Board plays in ensuring the Postal Service fulfills its public service mission, it is imperative that the President nominate and the Senate confirm well-qualified nominees from both political parties,” Peters wrote. “Advancing only nominees from one party and failing to consult with the minority unnecessarily politicizes the Postal Service and undermines its statutory independence.”
The standoff highlights a growing GOP rift over the Postal Service's future, as some Republicans worry that aggressive reforms could alienate rural voters who depend on reliable mail delivery. Related tensions have emerged in other areas of Trump's agenda, such as his approval slump deepening GOP fears for the midterms and his urging GOP voters to treat the midterms as a personal referendum. Whether Rounds' holds will force a compromise remains to be seen, but his move signals that even within his own party, Trump's postal overhaul faces scrutiny.
