Government affairs
Legislative Updates
Today, the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs (HSGAC) held a hearing to consider the nomination of Thomas Day to serve on the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC), an independent agency that exercises regulatory oversight over the Postal Service.
The PRC’s responsibilities include preventing anticompetitive practices, promoting accountability, adjudicating complaints, setting postal rates and helping oversee delivery service standards.
During his 35 years at the Postal Service, Day served in multiple senior roles including vice president of engineering, senior vice president of government affairs, senior vice president of intelligent mail and chief sustainability officer. Additionally, he served as the chair of the standards board at the Universal Position Union, the U.N. agency that governs international mail exchange from 2007-11. Following his retirement from the Postal Service in 2019, Day worked at the International Post Corporation (IPC) in Brussels. He is an Army veteran and a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
Day began his testimony by highlighting his broad experience in both the global and domestic postal sectors. Regarding the role of the PRC and the ongoing modernization and revitalization of the Postal Service under the Delivering for America plan, Day stated, “It is essential that the PRC provide the oversight to ensure that the implementation of DRF is accomplished in a manner that provides fair competition, accountability and transparency.” Day concluded by committing to engage USPS and all key stakeholders “to find the optimal, practical solutions to create a postal system to best serve our country.”
HSGAC Chairman Gary Peters (D-MI) began by asking Day to describe how he would shift from working for the Postal Service to serving on the PRC and ensuring it acts as a strong regulator. Day emphasized the importance of fostering a positive working relationship between the PRC and USPS, even when there is disagreement, but affirmed his commitment to fulfilling the responsibilities of the PRC.
Day also responded to questions from Senators Thomas R. Carper (D-DE) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) regarding the integration of electric vehicles to the USPS’s fleet, expressing optimism about the use of electric vehicles despite challenges, adding “it is the right thing to do.”
In response to questions from Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) about the USPS’s challenges, Day described how factors like inflation and the decline in first-class mail have impacted the Postal Service’s revenue but asserted that he was hopeful and optimistic that the USPS would break even or produce a positive net income in 2024. As the Postal Service continues to go through a dramatic shift in the kind of product it handles, Day also emphasized the responsibility of the PRC to monitor cost attribution on an ongoing basis in the rate-making process.
Following today’s hearing, the next step is for HSGAC to advance Day’s nomination. If advanced by the committee, his nomination then will be considered by the full Senate.
If confirmed, Day would replace Mark Acton, the current vice chairman of the commission who has served on the PRC since 2006. Day’s hearing comes a week following HSGAC unanimously voting to advance the renomination of Robert Taub to serve on the PRC. Day’s nomination is expected to be taken up by the Committee swiftly in order to advance both nominees prior to the expiration of both current terms.
