FreedomWorks Sends Letter to Senate Urging Opposition to Nomination of Anton Hajjar for the United States Postal Service Board of Governors

On behalf of the FreedomWorks activist community, I urge you to oppose the nomination of Anton Hajjar for the United States Postal Service (USPS) Board of Governors. Due to Mr. Hajjar’s conflicts of interests outlined below, we ask that you consider putting a hold on his nomination.

Mr. Hajjar has served on the staff of a law firm and has personally engaged in litigation and arbitration in representing interest against the USPS, and he has also served as the General Counsel for the American Postal Workers Union (APWU). The APWU has opposed reforms that would benefit the postal service’s long-term financial stability. For example, the APWU opposed nearly all of the proposals presented by the Trump Administration’s White House Task Force on the United States Postal Service, which was poised to help achieve sound operational and accounting fixes. On top of this, the APWU also strongly supported taxpayer bailouts in the range of $75 billion to support the USPS, instead of addressing the agency’s underlying problems. 

We believe it is incumbent upon the Biden Administration to present to the Senate candidates for the USPS Board whom have not consistently opposed the interests of lawmakers and regulators in meeting objectives of establishing a functional USPS; and whom have not sought to influence the actions of USPS staff and its contracts as an element of the individual’s external employment.  

The USPS is a fiscally-troubled agency that is in serious need of reforms. Over the last 14 years, the postal service has lost more than $87 billion, including more than $9 billion last year. The agency is also expected to lose more than $160 billion over the next ten years. In contrast to years of mismanagement, the USPS must institute a business-like model for postal operations that would help clear the billions of dollars the agency carries in unfunded liabilities and debt. 

Mr. Hajjar’s employment with the postal workers’ union presents a conflict of interest that will undermine his ability to serve on the Board of Governors and objectively consider serious and needed reforms to the USPS. Any decision that the Board of Governors takes may be met with a biased response from Mr. Hajjar, which can affect the consideration of any long-term proposal to get the USPS back on a strong financial path. 

The presence of union-backed nominees present legitimate questions and concerns about treating government appointments as rewards from President Biden for the early political support he garnered from the postal worker unions. In lieu of nominating individuals whose judgments are clouded by the conflicts of political paybacks, we urge you to make it known that there is a need to consider alternative candidates who are deeply skilled in emergency financial reorientation and broad-scale change management. This would help the USPS to prioritize its massive fiscal challenges and better serve the nation with reliable, affordable, universal mail service. 

The Senate must not move forward with the nomination of Mr. Hajjar. 

Sincerely,

Adam Brandon
President, FreedomWorks