USPS governing board has just one member; Bernie Sanders reportedly stalling voting on nominees

The U.S. Postal Service, which is supposed to have nine governors on its decision-making board, currently only has one, Eric Katz reports for Government Executive. Congress has rejected every nominee by President Obama, and the Senate has not confirmed a new member to the board since 2010, largely because Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) "is reportedly holding up the current nominees over concerns that they plan to further degrade postal services." The board is supposed to be bipartisan, with no more than five members from any one party.

"Last year, the board lost its ability to field a quorum when it dropped to just three confirmed members," Katz writes. "It has been operating under a 'temporary emergency committee,' which the board created to avoid being left completely powerless when it lost its quorum." With two governors’ terms expiring on Dec. 8, the "committee is now made up of just one confirmed member—Chairman James Bilbray—as well as the postmaster general and her deputy."

"Several of the nominees are not actually new but have instead been re-nominated after already serving in the positions," Katz writes. Dave Partenheimer, a USPS spokesman, told Katz, "The role of the governors in ensuring the Postal Service’s ability to effectively achieve its statutory responsibilities is simply too important for there to be only a single governor in office.” (Read more)