[Senate Hearing 117-408]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
S. Hrg. 117-408
NOMINATIONS OF KIRAN A. AHUJA,
ANTON A. HAJJAR, AMBER F. McREYNOLDS, AND RONALD STROMAN
=======================================================================
HEARING
BEFORE THE
COMMITTEE ON
HOMELAND SECURITY AND GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS
UNITED STATES SENATE
ONE HUNDRED SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
__________
NOMINATION OF KIRAN A. AHUJA TO BE DIRECTOR, OFFICE OF
PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT, AND ANTON A. HAJJAR,
AMBER F. MCREYNOLDS, AND RONALD STROMAN TO BE GOVERNORS, U.S. POSTAL
SERVICE
__________
APRIL 22, 2021
Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.govinfo.gov
Printed for the use of the
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
[GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
45-983 PDF WASHINGTON : 2022
COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY AND GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS
GARY C. PETERS, Michigan, Chairman
THOMAS R. CARPER, Delaware ROB PORTMAN, Ohio
MAGGIE HASSAN, New Hampshire RON JOHNSON, Wisconsin
KYRSTEN SINEMA, Arizona RAND PAUL, Kentucky
JACKY ROSEN, Nevada JAMES LANKFORD, Oklahoma
ALEX PADILLA, California MITT ROMNEY, Utah
JON OSSOFF, Georgia RICK SCOTT, Florida
JOSH HAWLEY, Missouri
David M. Weinberg, Staff Director
Zachary I. Schram, Chief Counsel
Claudine J. Brenner, Counsel
Annika W. Christensen, Professional Staff Member
Pamela Thiessen, Minority Staff Director
Andrew Dockham, Minority Chief Counsel and Deputy Staff Director
Meredith Pohl, Minority Counsel
Jeff A. Post, Minority Senior Profesional Staff Member
Andrew J. Timm, Minority Professional Staff Member
Laura W. Kilbride, Chief Clerk
Thomas J. Spino, Hearing Clerk
C O N T E N T S
------
Opening statements:
Page
Senator Peters............................................... 1
Senator Portman.............................................. 5
Senator Hassan............................................... 17
Senator Johnson.............................................. 19
Senator Lankford............................................. 21
Senator Padilla.............................................. 24
Senator Hawley............................................... 27
Senator Ossoff............................................... 29
Senator Carper............................................... 31
Senator Rosen................................................ 33
Prepared statements:
Senator Peters............................................... 37
Senator Portman.............................................. 39
WITNESSES
Thursday, April 22, 2021
Kiran A. Ahuja to be Director, Office of Personnel Management
Testimony.................................................... 3
Prepared statement........................................... 40
Biographical and professional information.................... 43
Letter from U.S. Office of Government Ethics................. 62
Responses to pre-hearing questions........................... 66
Responses to post-hearing questions.......................... 88
Letters of support........................................... 100
Anton A. Hajjar to be Governor, U.S. Postal Service
Testimony.................................................... 6
Prepared statement........................................... 104
Biographical and professional information.................... 107
Letter from U.S. Office of Government Ethics................. 126
Responses to pre-hearing questions........................... 131
Responses to post-hearing questions.......................... 147
Opposition letter............................................ 159
Amber F. McReynolds to be Governor, U.S. Postal Service
Testimony.................................................... 8
Prepared statement........................................... 161
Biographical and professional information.................... 163
Letter from U.S. Office of Government Ethics................. 194
Responses to pre-hearing questions........................... 199
Responses to post-hearing questions.......................... 217
Ronald Stroman to be Governor, U.S. Postal Service
Testimony.................................................... 10
Prepared statement........................................... 231
Biographical and professional information.................... 233
Letter from U.S. Office of Government Ethics................. 251
Responses to pre-hearing questions........................... 256
Responses to post-hearing questions.......................... 275
NOMINATIONS OF KIRAN A. AHUJA,
ANTON A. HAJJAR, AMBER F. McREYNOLDS, AND RONALD STROMAN
----------
THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 2021
U.S. Senate,
Committee on Homeland Security
and Governmental Affairs,
Washington, DC.
The Committee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:16 a.m., via
Webex and in room SD-342, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Hon.
Gary C. Peters, Chairman of the Committee, presiding.
Present: Senators Peters, Carper, Hassan, Sinema, Rosen,
Padilla, Ossoff, Portman, Johnson, Lankford, Scott, and Hawley.
OPENING STATEMENT OF CHAIRMAN PETERS\1\
Chairman Peters. The Committee will come to order.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ The prepared statement of Senator Peters appear in the Appendix
on page 37.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Today we are considering the nominations of Kiran Ahuja to
be Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), and
Anton Hajjar, Amber McReynolds, and Ron Stroman to be members
of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) Board of Governors.
Welcome to all of you. Thank you for joining us here today,
and certainly congratulations on your nominations. Thank you
for your willingness to serve in these roles to help ensure our
government is working efficiently as well as effectively for
the American people.
Ms. Ahuja, if confirmed as Director of the Office of
Personnel Management, you will not only lead an agency of
several thousand employees, but also serve as the Chief Human
Resources Officer (CHRO) to millions of hardworking and
dedicated public servants all across our government.
Over the last few years, OPM and our Federal workforce have
faced many challenges.
This is an incredibly important position, and I believe
your extensive public service experience, including as Chief of
Staff at OPM, have prepared you well to lead this agency at
what is, undoubtedly, a pivotal time for employees at OPM and
throughout the Federal Government.
As you and I have discussed in the past, our Nation's civil
service requires an experienced, independent leader who can
rebuild confidence in OPM and provide a hopeful, innovative
vision for the future of the Federal workforce.
Our dedicated public servants are on the front line,
responding to an ongoing pandemic, protecting our national
security, and delivering vital services to the American people
each and every day. I look forward to hearing more about how
you plan to lead this critical agency.
Mr. Hajjar, Mr. Stroman, and Ms. McReynolds, if confirmed,
you will help lead the U.S. Postal Service, an essential public
service for nearly 250 years, that countless Americans rely on
for affordable and for reliable delivery of medications,
financial documents, for running their small businesses, and so
much more.
As you all know, the Postal Service and its dedicated
workers continue facing unique challenges that have been
compounded by the ongoing pandemic. And last year we saw
service standards fall dramatically due to changes that were
made without consulting Congress or even studying their
possible effects.
Though the current situation has improved, the Postal
Service continues to face enormous challenges in providing
timely delivery and planning for its future.
Given these challenges, it is essential that nominees to
the Board of Governors are qualified leaders who will focus on
service and work with Congress to ensure that our postal
workforce has the right support to deliver for the American
people each and every day.
Mr. Hajjar, as a legal expert who has worked extensively on
labor-management relations, you have a strong knowledge of how
to forge compromises and understand the unique challenges faced
by the Postal Service's large and diverse workforce.
Ms. McReynolds, as the chief executive of a nonprofit and
former senior local government official, you are a proven
leader who has experience working with a variety of stakeholder
groups. From our conversations, it is clear to me that you are
knowledgeable on how the Postal Service works with States,
clients, and constituents to deliver mail all across our
country.
Mr. Stroman, you are a lifelong public servant, and as
former Deputy Postmaster General (PMG), you have deep
operational knowledge of the Postal Service. You also have an
extensive record of working across the aisle as the former head
of Government Relations.
All of you have diverse and extensive leadership, public
service, and legal experience that have prepared you to take on
this new and challenging role, bring fresh perspectives, and
address the challenges that the Postal Service faces.
I look forward to hearing more from each of you about your
vision for improving the Postal Service, increasing
accountability, and working to ensure that every American,
including veterans, small business owners, rural residents,
underserved communities, and seniors, can count on the Postal
Service.
With that, I am going to move to swearing in witnesses.
Ranking Member Portman will be here shortly. He will be giving
an opening statement when he arrives. But we will move forward
with the hearing now.
It is the practice of this Committee to swear in witnesses,
so if each of you will stand and raise your right hand, please.
Do you swear that the testimony that you will give before this
Committee will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but
the truth, so help you, God?
Ms. Ahuja. I do.
Mr. Hajjar. I do.
Ms. McReynolds. I do.
Mr. Stroman. I do.
Chairman Peters. All of you have answered affirmatively.
Thank you. You may be seated.
Our first nominee is Kiran Ahuja, who is nominated to be
Director of the Office of Personnel Management. Ms. Ahuja
currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of
Philanthropy Northwest, a regional network of philanthropic
institutions. After starting her career as a civil rights
lawyer through the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Honors
Program, Ms. Ahuja went on to hold several leadership roles in
government and in the nonprofit sector. Her public service
includes serving as the founding executive director of the
National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum, Executive
Director of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and
Pacific Islanders (WHIAAPI), and as Chief of Staff at OPM.
Welcome to the Committee. You may proceed with your opening
remarks.
TESTIMONY OF KIRAN A. AHUJA,\1\ TO BE DIRECTOR, OFFICE OF
PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT
Ms. Ahuja. Thank you, Chairman Peters, Ranking Member
Portman, and Members of this Committee, for your gracious
welcome. It is an honor to be considered by this Committee as
President Biden's nominee for Director of the Office of
Personnel Management.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ The prepared statement of Ms. Ahuja appears in the Appendix on
page 40.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
I want to take a moment to recognize my husband, Javier
Guzman, who I am pleased to have here with me today and to whom
I owe a deal of gratitude for his ongoing support and
encouragement.
Finally, I want to thank the Members of the Committee and
their staff for taking the time to meet with me. If I am
fortunate enough to be confirmed, I look forward to continuing
our conversations and strengthening the relationship between
OPM and this Committee.
It is with a degree of humility that I appear before you
today. I am the daughter of Indian immigrants and very much a
product of the American dream. My family came to this country
in the early 1970s when I was 2 years old. My father was a
trained psychiatrist who accepted an opportunity to serve in
rural hospitals across the South at a time when there was great
need and demand. My childhood was spent in small towns and
cities across Georgia, Louisiana, and Florida where I learned
how to build bridges with people from all walks of life. Those
formative years were challenging at times, but thankfully, they
also taught me adaptability, perseverance, resilience, and a
sense of purpose that has informed and guided me every day
since.
After graduating from Spelman College, a historically Black
college (HBCU) in Atlanta, Georgia, and the University of
Georgia School of Law, I answered an early call to public
service beginning my career as a trial attorney at the U.S.
Department of Justice through the Department's Honors Program.
I went on to lead mission-oriented organizations of all sizes
in the nonprofit and public sectors. This included a return to
public service, first as the Executive Director of the White
House Initiative for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
responsible for increasing access to and participation in
Federal programs, and later as Chief of Staff at the Office of
Personnel Management.
During my time at OPM, I had the opportunity to witness
firsthand the commitment, hard work, and dedication of the OPM
staff and the Federal workforce. I worked alongside individuals
who take very seriously their oath of public office and work
every day to successfully fulfill their agency's mission. I
believe people are and should be at the center of all policy
decisions, and if I were fortunate enough to be confirmed, I
would carry forward this guiding principle while working in
service to the American public.
If confirmed, I pledge to protect our merit system
principles, a bedrock of our civil service. It would be my
mission to serve and support Federal employees and to restore,
rebuild, and retool the Federal workforce. OPM will need to
innovate to meet the modern needs of agencies with respect to
recruitment, hiring, retention, engagement, and performance
management. Of course, OPM also needs to honor Federal retirees
by providing them the high level of service they deserve. OPM
cannot do this alone, and if confirmed, I am committed to
working with government partners--including Congress--to ensure
OPM has the support and resources necessary to fulfill its
mission and that the agency is held accountable to its
obligations.
As I reflect upon the examples my parents set, I think
about their extraordinary journey, work ethic, and commitment
to underserved communities in Savannah, Georgia. My parents
began their lives as refugees following the Partition of India,
and despite all odds, my father obtained his medical degree. My
father worked well into his later years, including starting a
medical clinic for underserved Georgians in the inner city of
Savannah. My mother also worked at the clinic. Though not a
doctor, she was the heart and soul of the operation and fully
embraced her role as a servant for public good. They also so
embraced the culture and diversity of America that even during
my mother's retirement, she taught country line dancing at the
senior center. My Dad and the other husbands sat in chairs
along the side of the room, while the women had a blast on the
dance floor. I still get text messages from some of her
students. And though they have both passed away, I hope their
examples live on through my own commitment to public service
and community engagement.
If confirmed, it would be an honor and the privilege of my
professional career to return again to public service as OPM's
Director. I thank the Committee for considering my nomination,
and I look forward to working with you all.
I am happy to answer any questions you may have. Thank you
very much.
Chairman Peters. Thank you, Ms. Ahuja. Thank you so much
for the opening comments.
Prior to moving to our other nominees and their opening
statements, Ranking Member Portman, if you would wish to make
an opening statement.
OPENING STATEMENT OF SENATOR PORTMAN\1\
Senator Portman. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I really
appreciate it. I apologize for being late. We have two hearings
going on at the same time right now and three or four other
things, and so I will keep my opening statement short except to
say I enjoyed talking with all four of you, and I appreciate
your willingness to serve. As I told you in our conversations,
I think you are coming forward at a very consequential time.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ The prepared statement of Senator Portman appears in the
Appendix on page 39.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
We talked to Ms. Ahuja about the issues that affect the
Office of Personnel Management right now, and we talked a
little about some of your work previously in the cyber attacks
and information privacy issues as well as just the need for us
to deal with what the Government Accountability Office (GAO)
has identified every year consistently as one of our huge
challenges as a country, how to get our Federal workforce
motivated and improve morale.
The OPM role in everything to do with human resources (HR)
is important, but you are also providing technical guidance and
support to agencies on a number of issues, including
performance evaluation, development of workers, and overseeing
the benefits program, of course, for millions of Federal
employees. So it is an incredibly important time, and I look
forward to your opportunity to answer some more questions today
in addition to what we talked about in person.
The Board of Governors for the Postal Service is, as we
talked about, kind of the board of directors for a private
company. That is maybe the closest comparison. I know it is
part-time, but I know it is also a huge time commitment, and
all of you have had experience in one way or another touching
on this issue.
Ms. McReynolds, with regard to mail-in ballots--and I
appreciated our conversation and the nonpartisan way in which
you have approached that issue. All of you in terms of your
experience, Mr. Stroman probably the most experienced of any
Board member in recent history, having worked at the Postal
Service in various ways, including as Deputy. Of course, Mr.
Hajjar, your work on the legal front, including working with
the Postal Service Union.
So we have a lot of challenges, $87 billion in losses over
the past 14 years, now more than $150 billion in unfunded
liabilities, at the same time providing high-quality mail and
package services to all Americans remains absolutely vital, and
I know you understand that. So if confirmed, you are going to
have a challenging road and a lot of tough issues. We will try
to help you with some of those. Should you be confirmed, I know
that the Chairman and I want to work on some of these issues as
they related to legislative changes, but you are going to have
a lot to do, including rate issues, on the Board, and we thank
you again for your willingness to step up and look forward to
the continued questions here today and the opportunity to move
these confirmations forward.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Chairman Peters. Thank you, Ranking Member Portman.
Our second nominee is Anton Hajjar, to be Governor of the
U.S. Postal Service. Mr. Hajjar has dedicated his life to the
law. He currently serves on the Council of the American Law
Institute where he advises as an expert on employment law,
corporate governance, contracts, and property. He has practiced
and held leadership roles at the firms Murphy Anderson and
O'Donnell, Schwartz & Anderson, and he has a strong record of
fighting for workers, including the hardworking, dedicated men
and women of the Postal Service. His public service includes
work on the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), as a
merchant seaman with the Military Sea Lift Command, and early
in his career as a customs inspector.
Welcome to the Committee. You may proceed with your opening
comments.
TESTIMONY OF ANTON A. HAJJAR,\1\ TO BE GOVERNOR, U.S. POSTAL
SERVICE
Mr. Hajjar. Thank you, Chairman Peters, Ranking Member
Portman, and honorable Members of this Committee. Thank you for
the privilege of appearing before you in connection with my
nomination to be a Governor of the U.S. Postal Service.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ The prepared statement of Mr. Hajjar appears in the Appendix on
page 104.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
At the outset, I want to extend my gratitude to my wife,
Sandra. She has been most patient with my many distractions
during the confirmation process while she has been recovering
from knee replacement surgery, and to my children, Claire and
Greg, who cared for Sandra while I was not available.
I would like to tell the Committee about my background and
qualifications for this important role. I am the oldest of six
children raised in a working-class family and the only person
in my family to attend college. From an early age, my parents
instilled in me the value of hard work. If my parents were
still alive, I know they would be proud to see me appearing
here today.
My interest in the Postal Service started at an early age
when I was hired as a summer substitute letter carrier in high
school. I was assigned to the Dyker Heights Station in
Brooklyn, New York, serving in the same neighborhood where Dr.
Anthony Fauci was raised. I was initiated into the ranks of
letter carriers when I was bitten by a dog and needed medical
treatment. I do not mention this lightly. Dog bites are a
serious hazard for letter carriers.
After college, I worked for 3 years as a U.S. customs
inspector assigned to the Bush Docks in Brooklyn. I also spent
time working in factories, driving a truck and a taxi, serving
as a hospital attendant and a janitor, among many other jobs. I
was also a seaman in the United States Merchant Marine for a
year.
Each of these roles exposed me to a wide variety of
backgrounds and gave me a deep respect for working people.
Based on my career path, it seemed almost inevitable that I
would end up as a labor lawyer.
Upon graduating from Tulane Law School, I had the high
honor of clerking for the eminent Judge John Minor Wisdom of
the Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, who was renowned
for his groundbreaking civil rights opinions.
After my clerkship, I worked for the New Orleans field
office of the National Labor Relations Board. For over 3 years,
my work took me throughout Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and
the Florida Panhandle. In 1982, I went into private legal
practice representing employees and unions.
Gradually my work focused mostly on the American Postal
Workers Union (APWU). The APWU was and still is one of the
largest postal unions, with over 200,000 members today. My
decades of experience with the APWU exposed me to a broad
spectrum of postal regulatory and legal issues from ratemaking
to operations.
My career also gave me important insight into the postal
workforce, which is one of the most dedicated and skilled in
the Nation. The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic
has been a reminder that we are fortunate to have postal
employees delivering for Americans every day.
We know that the USPS provides stable, middle-class jobs in
every community across the country. But to me, the crowning
achievement of the USPS is its diversity. For many
underrepresented communities, including minorities, women, and
veterans, the USPS is the first rung on the ladder of economic
opportunity. Investing in this workforce will ensure that a new
generation of Americans finds their opportunity in the Postal
Service.
Certainly, the Postal Service faces huge challenges,
particularly when it comes to declining mail volume and the
need to be self-sustaining. One thing of which I am certain is
that people care about the mail. When the residents in my
apartment building learn that the mail is in, we all congregate
around the mailroom. I have heard plenty of complaints and have
had a few bad experiences myself. But these complaints are not
bitter; rather, they sound disappointed. There is a vast
reservoir of good will toward the Postal Service, and I think
we can all agree that the Postal Service must make it a
priority to keep the trust of the American people before all
else.
Despite the challenges facing the USPS, there are also
incredible opportunities to grow the business and service to
the American people. I am pleased that the Postmaster General's
recently released 10-year plan protects 6-day delivery and
seeks to find new ways to utilize technology, expand services,
and invest in the career workforce. I am concerned about other
parts of the plan, such as reducing delivery standards and
raising prices that could adversely affect small businesses and
rural communities.
Working closely with management and postal stakeholders,
and, of course, Congress, I am confident that the Board can
position the USPS to deliver the affordable and reliable
service that all Americans deserve. I hope I will be given an
opportunity to find solutions to the problems facing the USPS.
Thank you, and I look forward to your questions.
Chairman Peters. Thank you, Mr. Hajjar. We appreciate your
comments.
Our next nominee for the Postal Service Board of Governors
is Amber McReynolds. She is the CEO of National Vote at Home
Institute, which is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization
dedicated to making sure that every American can vote in a
secure, safe, accessible, and equitable election. She
previously served as director of elections for the city and
county of Denver, Colorado, a nonpartisan appointed position,
where she shared her expertise and provided important technical
assistance. Her career has also included service for the
Illinois State court system and the United Kingdom (U.K.)
Parliament.
Welcome to the Committee, and you may proceed with your
opening comments.
TESTIMONY OF AMBER McREYNOLDS,\1\ TO BE GOVERNOR, U.S. POSTAL
SERVICE
Ms. McReynolds. Good morning, Chairman Peters, Ranking
Member Portman, and Members of the Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC). I appreciate you
holding this hearing.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ The prepared statement of Ms. McReynolds appear in the Appendix
on page 161.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Before we begin, I would like to acknowledge my family here
with me today and those watching from home. I am thankful that
my brother Michael could fly to D.C. and be here today. In
normal times, I would have brought my son, Kenton, and my
daughter, Klara, with me to see our government up close, just
as they did 2 years ago when they visited the Capitol and the
monuments, and they really truly loved it. I am also grateful
to my parents, Dana and Carol--many people know my mom as
``Pixi''--for ensuring that my children are at school on time
and do not miss baseball and soccer practice while I am away.
The United States Postal Service is one of our most admired
institutions, responsible for binding our Nation together by
connecting citizens to commerce, communities, and each other.
It is an essential service that our citizens expect and trust.
Given the importance of the Postal Service in our lives, I am
deeply humbled and honored to be nominated to serve on the
Board of Governors. All Americans deserve a thriving and
sustainable Postal Service, and if I am confirmed, I look
forward to working to improve postal operations, service, and
citizen connectivity.
My entire professional career has been focused on improving
citizen experiences with government, specifically within the
voting process. I served as a local election official in
Denver, Colorado, for 13 years and experienced firsthand the
importance of building processes that deliver our essential
services to the public in a fair, accessible, and secure way.
During my time in local government, I designed systems that put
the needs of customers--the voters--first. I am proud that the
Colorado voting model has been a blueprint that many other
States have used to increase citizen participation and improve
systems. Our experience in Colorado proved that it is possible
to improve service while also conserving costs and saving
taxpayer dollars. We have demonstrated that we can increase
transparency while also enhancing security and while also
serving the public in a more accessible and equitable manner.
Finally, I am incredibly grateful to the local and State
election officials across the United States for their
spectacular commitment to serving voters during the 2020
election cycle. We all owe them our gratitude.
In the midst of a global pandemic, millions of Americans
across the country relied on the Postal Service to cast their
ballots, get their prescriptions, and ensure that their bills
were paid on time. Despite great challenges, the Postal Service
helped deliver democracy during the 2020 election cycle. The
parallels between election administration and the Postal
Service are clear in that they both have a mission to deliver
an essential, nonpartisan service for all, regardless of
personal circumstance, politics, or geography. Vote by mail and
election mail is an essential role for the Postal Service, and
if I am fortunate to serve as a Governor, I will bring a
perspective to the Board that prioritizes the needs of
Americans just like I have done my entire career for voters
both in government and also in the nonprofit sectors.
While Denver has been my home for the past 16 years, I grew
up in a small town in Illinois where my parents still live
today. The universal service obligation (USO) is essential to
the daily lives of rural citizens across our Nation. Whether it
is prescription drugs, election ballots and information, or
business-related mailings, rural communities rely heavily on
the Postal Service for vital connectivity and commerce.
Regardless of where Americans live, we must ensure that every
single community across the country has prompt, reliable, and
equitable service.
We know that the success of this great institution depends
on the ability to adapt to change. Many of the problems facing
the Postal Service are clear. Chronic underinvestment in
technology, facilities, infrastructure, and the workforce have
exasperated this crisis. It is not a question of whether change
is necessary but, rather, whether we can collectively work
together to effectuate change with solutions that focus on the
future.
I look forward to focusing on a better future for the
Postal Service that continues to deliver reliable and
affordable mail service to every community in the country.
Working collaboratively with postal stakeholders and the Board,
I am confident that we can find creative solutions and process
improvements that deliver cost savings as well as service
improvements. By investing in the business and the workforce,
we will be able to grow the Postal Service and bring new
revenue into the system.
If I am fortunate enough to be confirmed, I am committed to
working on behalf of the American people to deliver the service
that they expect and deserve, and I look forward to your
questions today.
Thank you.
Chairman Peters. Thank you, Ms. McReynolds.
Finally, we have Ron Stroman, who is also nominated to be a
Governor of the U.S. Postal Service. Mr. Stroman has dedicated
his career to public service, especially the Postal Service. He
previously served as Deputy Postmaster General of the Postal
Service from 2011 to June 2020. As a top executive at the
Postal Service, he helped manage an organization of over
640,000 employees, led customer initiatives, and also served as
Chief Government Relations Officer. Prior to that, he served as
the Government Accountability Office and the Department of
Transportation (DOT), in the House of Representatives on the
Oversight and Government Reform Committee, and the Judiciary
Committee, and as an attorney at the Department of Housing and
Urban Development (HUD).
Welcome to the Committee. You may now proceed with your
opening comments.
TESTIMONY OF RON STROMAN,\1\ TO BE GOVERNOR, U.S. POSTAL
SERVICE
Mr. Stroman. Thank you, Chairman Peters, Ranking Member
Portman, Members of the Committee. I am honored to appear
before you today as a nominee for the United States Postal
Service Board of Governors.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ The prepared statement of Mr. Stroman appears in the Appendix
on page 231.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The President nominates Postal Service Governors to
represent the public generally, not any special interests. This
nationwide mandate drives the Postal Service's unrivaled
delivery network, binding our country together and linking our
economy to rural, inner-city, and small business communities,
who depend so heavily on the Postal Service.
In times of crisis, the Postal Service's role as an
essential part of America's critical infrastructure, serves as
a lifeline for all Americans. As our Nation has experienced
during the current global pandemic, the Postal Service is
especially critical for our seniors and veterans and people
with disabilities, delivering life-saving medicine, financial
payments, and household necessities.
In fulfilling this responsibility, America's postal workers
have risked their lives every day of the pandemic. Their
commitment is a testament to the resilient spirit of the
American people. The country owes them a debt of gratitude. If
confirmed, I will make their safety and well-being one of my
highest priorities.
I have dedicated my 41-year professional career to public
service. My commitment to public service is the reason I
attended Rutgers University Law Center in Newark, New Jersey, a
law school with a proud tradition of diversifying the legal
profession, with a focus on public service. It is the reason I
chose to work in the Executive and Legislative Branches of the
Federal Government. And it is the reason I accepted the
position as the 20th Deputy Postmaster General of the United
States. Serving on the Board of Governors would be the capstone
of a career I have devoted to improving the lives of the
American people.
I am also committed to the Postal Service for personal and
historic reasons. My dad, a World War II veteran, ran the
shipping department of a small manufacturing company in New
Rochelle, New York, where I grew up. He was responsible for
shipping the metal clamps made by the factory. As a high school
student, I had the opportunity to work with him after school
and on the weekends.
The company relied on the Postal Service to ship many of
those clamps. My dad taught me how to weigh and put the right
amount of postage on each shipment. Without the Postal Service,
this small, family owned business might not have existed.
In the case of my family and the other families working at
that small business, the Postal Service indirectly created jobs
and a middle-class life. For African Americans, the Postal
Service helped to build the country's Black middle class. It
provided jobs when the doors of opportunity were too often
slammed shut.
During my time as the Deputy Postmaster General, I saw
firsthand how the Nation relies on the Postal Service. I
remember traveling to North Dakota to meet with small business
owners. We spent hours listening as these entrepreneurs
explained their dependence on prompt and reliable delivery. I
have seen individual business owners in small towns carrying
packages into local post offices. If confirmed, I would bring
these insights and other experiences to the Board.
As Deputy Postmaster General, I worked in concert with
management and our Governors on some of the most complex issues
facing the Postal Service. I have participated in
organizational change initiatives, including improvements to
the customer experience. I have led our team in key votes at
the Universal Postal Union. I have significant background
working on postal reform legislation. If confirmed, my goal is
to work in a bipartisan manner to return the Postal Service to
operational excellence, future growth, and long-term financial
stability.
In closing, let me quote from the 1968 ``Report of the
President's Commission on Postal Organization,'' better known
as the Kappel Commission, which laid the foundation for today's
Postal Service: ``Full management responsibility and authority
would be vested in a Board of Directors charged with providing
the Nation with a superb mail system, offering universal
service at reasonable rates, paying fair wages to postal
employees and giving full consideration to the public
welfare.'' If confirmed, I promise to do my best to live up
that ideal as a Governor of the United States Postal Service.
Thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today,
and I look forward to your questions.
Chairman Peters. Thank you, Mr. Stroman, for your opening
comments.
There are three questions that the Committee asks of every
nominee, and I am going to ask the question, and I just need to
go down the list here. You can answer yes or no after I ask the
question. Mr. Stroman, we will have you start, and then we will
go down the table here.
First, is there anything you are aware of in your
background that might present a conflict of interest with the
duties of the office for which you have been nominated?
Mr. Stroman. No, Mr. Chairman.
Ms. McReynolds. No.
Mr. Hajjar. No.
Ms. Ahuja. No, Mr. Chairman.
Chairman Peters. Second, do you know of anything, personal
or otherwise, that would in any way prevent you from fully and
honorably discharging the responsibilities of the office for
which you have been nominated?
Mr. Stroman. No, Mr. Chairman.
Ms. McReynolds. No.
Mr. Hajjar. No, Mr. Chairman.
Ms. Ahuja. No, Mr. Chairman.
Chairman Peters. And, last, do you agree without
reservation to comply with any request or summons to appear and
testify before any duly constituted Committee of Congress if
you are confirmed?
Mr. Stroman. Yes, Mr. Chairman.
Ms. McReynolds. Yes, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Hajjar. Yes, Mr. Chairman.
Ms. Ahuja. Yes, Mr. Chairman.
Chairman Peters. Great. Thank you.
Ms. Ahuja, my first question is for you. As you are well
aware, Federal cybersecurity is a significant challenge to
agencies as we continue to face breaches and we struggle to
have a specialized workforce to help protect those networks.
This is something that this Committee is focused on, we are
going to continue to be focused on in the months and years
ahead, and are looking at a variety of ways to make sure that
we continue to retain and attract a quality workforce.
Earlier this month, I reintroduced legislation, for
example, entitled the ``Federal Rotational Cyber Workforce
Program,'' which allows folks to have experience in different
agencies, hopefully break down some of the silos that we
currently have within our agencies. It does require looking at
personnel management in a different way than we have looked at
it in the past here at the Federal Government. It is an attempt
to address some of those problems, but you will have many other
ideas that will come forward from this Committee as well.
So my question to you is: If confirmed, will you commit to
working with me on these and other legislative proposals? And
will you make this a priority?
Ms. Ahuja. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for that question. I
very much appreciate the work that you have been doing around
cyber talent. I think it is an important issue, and I
definitely commit to working with you and this Committee on
those issues.
Chairman Peters. Great. Thank you.
This next question will go to our three nominees for the
Postal Board of Governors. In my State, as well as folks all
across the country, as you have all mentioned in your opening
comments, they rely on the Postal Service for timely deliver.
Millions count on the Postal Service every day to deliver
medications, to deliver their paychecks, to run their small
businesses. As a public service, the Postal Service must
balance a lot of different requirements every day. But, bottom
line, it is about service to the American people.
So my question to each of you, if you would take a moment
to answer, is: If confirmed, will you focus on improving the
quality and the reliability of mail delivery? And please
briefly discuss how you approach the challenge of improving
service. Mr. Hajjar, we will start with you and then work down
the table.
Mr. Hajjar. Thank you for that question, Mr. Chairman. The
Postal Service, as you point out, is a service, and it is a
fundamental--it is in the law, a fundamental service to the
American people. It is also in the law that the Postal Service
must provide prompt, reliable, and efficient service to all
communities, including rural communities.
The way I see it, it is not a discretionary thing. It is a
mandatory thing. It is an obligation of the Postal Service,
something that the Postal Service should pay attention to every
day. The Governors, as the overseers, if you will, of the
Postmaster General and management, have to be sure that they
are held accountable for fulfilling the obligations that the
Congress of the United States has made a priority for the
Postal Service.
Chairman Peters. Thank you.
Ms. McReynolds.
Ms. McReynolds. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. As I did state in
my opening statement, service is absolutely essential, and we
have to restore the service levels that have been declining
over the last few years, and we have to do so in a
comprehensive way that addresses not only the financial
stability of the Postal Service long term but, more
importantly, ground process improvements and innovations in
technology with a focus on customers and creating customer-
centric and pro-customer processes. I also think we have to
fully assess where stakeholders are, engaged with stakeholders
on their feedback. We have to balance the needs of rural
communities with urban communities and consider the variances
that might exist across the country in terms of enhancing
service for the American people and building trust with the
public on the Postal Service and the service that they are
offering.
Chairman Peters. Thank you.
Mr. Stroman.
Mr. Stroman. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The universal service
obligation of the Postal Service requires delivering prompt,
reliable, and efficient service to all Americans all over the
country. It starts, it seems to me, with having a plan to
ensure that you have great service. That starts from the top of
the organization and filters down throughout the organization.
You have to have an organizational structure that allows you to
work through issues on a cross-functional basis. It has to have
an organizational structure that allows you to quickly respond
to issues.
One of the things that the Postal Service did over the last
several years is to disaggregate data as it relates to service.
So now we can look at rural versus urban service and quickly
compare that.
But, essentially, it is a cultural issue, it is a plan
issue. You have to be an agile organization that allows you to
quickly respond to concerns, Mr. Chairman.
Chairman Peters. Thank you. As the three of you know, the
Board is currently considering changes to service standards
that would increase some target delivery times as well as a
variety of other changes to the Postal Service network. I would
like to have each of you respond yes or no and perhaps briefly
after that, but yes or no would be good.
If confirmed, will you commit to collecting additional
feedback from customers about these proposed changes and
carefully evaluating any changes to Postal Service operations
to ensure that they do not harm customers? Ms. McReynolds, I
will start with you, equal opportunity here to start the first
question. We will start with you and then go to Mr. Stroman and
then Mr. Hajjar.
Ms. McReynolds. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and, yes, I
absolutely do, and I think that stakeholder engagement is
particularly important in improving service and improving
operational functions within the Postal Service. I also think
stakeholder engagement is critical to creating a more adaptable
organization long term and creating better technologies and
innovations that can better support customers through the
process. I think it is absolutely critical, and I will
absolutely commit to engaging with stakeholders.
Chairman Peters. All right. Thank you.
Mr. Stroman. Mr. Chairman, I also agree to that. The
Governor's responsibility is to represent the public generally.
In order to represent the public, I think it is crucial that
the Board get input from stakeholders all across the country
and from its business customers, and that you take that input
and you consider it in formulating your plans, and then you
communicate broadly to the American public what the basis of
your decisions has been. So you certainly have my commitment.
Chairman Peters. Thank you.
Mr. Hajjar. Mr. Chairman, I agree completely. The
deterioration of service in recent times is simply
unacceptable. It cannot be the hallmark of the Postal Service
that it is declining in delivering service to the American
people. I believe, as I said in my opening statement, there is
an enormous reservoir of goodwill among the people for the
Postal Service. That has to be preserved. It cannot be
squandered. It is the strength of the Postal Service, so
service has to be job one.
Chairman Peters. All right. Thank you to each of you for
that commitment.
I now recognize Ranking Member Portman for his questions.
Senator Portman. Thanks, Mr. Chairman.
Ms. Ahuja, as I said, good job at OPM. Here is a recent
survey that was done, Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS):
39 percent of Federal employees believe their promotions are
based on merit, meaning the rest do not, which would be very
concerning. Only 34 percent believe poor performance is
addressed by management. How will you improve the hiring
process at the Federal level so that it maximizes merit and
addresses poor performance?
Ms. Ahuja. Thank you, Ranking Member Portman, for that
question. I very much appreciate those concerns. I understand
that it can be challenging at times to manage poor performance.
I will say that what I have seen in most cases in executive
roles is that oftentimes poor performance shows up because of
lack of employee engagement or a mismatch of skills and talents
for that position or there just is not really clear metrics
around the performance evaluation.
So related to focusing on poor performers, I think it is
key to think about and to focus on what OPM can do, if I was
confirmed, around supporting agencies around performance
management guidance, supporting managers, and understanding
those processes, because those processes are important and it
is important to carry those out.
Oftentimes managers, they are focused on their work, not as
much around the day-to-day of supervision, and that is equally
important.
Senator Portman. Should you be confirmed, we would like to
work with you on this issue.
Ms. Ahuja. Definitely.
Senator Portman. Because I do think it is one of the
reasons you have some of the turnover and the poor morale that
we have been talking about in other contexts, including our
conversation.
Let me ask you something specific. I am concerned about
some aspects of the administration's new detailee program,
sending Federal workers to assist with the border surge, and
particularly these individuals apparently are allowed to begin
working with kids prior to completing a child care
investigation background check under OPM's program. They really
are not qualified, many of them, to do this. With the reports
of abuse in border shelters in particular, how will you ensure
children's safety in these facilities as you continue with this
detailee program, should you be confirmed?
Ms. Ahuja. Thank you, Ranking Member Portman, for that
question. I am aware of the volunteer detailee program that is
being provide. Oftentimes OPM does provide these type of
support services for agencies, especially when they need to
surge capacity, oftentimes related to disasters.
In particular to your question regarding the safety of
those children, there are also suitability standards. My
understanding is that that would be incorporated in the review
of those individuals as they go down to the border to ensure
that they have the appropriate----
Senator Portman. If confirmed, would you agree to work with
us on that to make sure that people have the qualifications
they need? At a time when this surge is just overwhelming, I
understand the program is paying sponsors now as an example,
which we have never done before, and we want to be sure these
kids are not suffering any more than they already have been
because of personnel that are not qualified.
Ms. Ahuja. Yes, Ranking Member Portman, I would look
forward to working with you.
Senator Portman. OK. You were Chief of Staff at OPM during
the fallout from the 2015 data breach that affected over 21
million Federal workers. We talked about that already in our
private conversation. But what would you do to improve OPM's
cybersecurity efforts specifically? I know you have talked
generally about that, but how do we avoid these kinds of
breaches in the future?
Ms. Ahuja. Thank you, Ranking Member Portman, for that
question. Spending my time at OPM shortly after the data
breaches, I definitely understand how incredibly important this
issue is. I think one thing that we incorporated that I would
continue to do, if confirmed, is to be hypervigilant around
cyber attacks. They are ever evolving, as we see. At the time
we set up a fairly responsive cyber incident response system.
My understanding is that still rates as the best in government.
I also think it is to be focused on information technology (IT)
leadership, having the skills within that office. I also think
a pathway to IT modernization is going to help us really manage
some of the challenges with keeping the systems----
Senator Portman. Would you commit today to working with us?
We talked earlier--the Chairman talked about the workforce. We
have passed legislation trying to advance the cyber workforce,
which is one of the answers here, to have the smartest, the
best people on the inside pushing back. Would you commit to
working with us on that and focusing on that, should you be
confirmed?
Ms. Ahuja. Yes, I would, Senator.
Senator Portman. A lot of the Federal workforce has been
working remotely, and the American people, I think, need access
to some of these services in person. We certainly find this
back home in Ohio as we are trying to help our veterans, we are
trying to help folks with Social Security issues and other
things. Telework works in some cases and does not in others. We
need to get people back to work, in my view, to help serve
those constituents as the COVID-19 crisis continues to improve.
If confirmed, would you commit to getting the Federal
workforce back to the office safely, efficiently, and as soon
as possible?
Ms. Ahuja. Thank you, Ranking Member Portman, for that
question. I very much commit to doing such efforts and
definitely balancing the safety of the Federal workforce. That
is going to be incredibly important, as well as the obligations
the agencies have to the American public.
Senator Portman. In a panel discussion in 2016, you made a
number of comments about abortion, including your support for
repealing the Hyde amendment. We discussed this on our call
earlier this week, but would you commit now to administering
the Federal Employee Health Benefits (FEHB) Program in
accordance with existing law?
Ms. Ahuja. Ranking Member Portman, I understand the role of
Director of OPM and that the Hyde amendment is the law of the
land, and I will follow the law, yes.
Senator Portman. To our Postal Governor nominees, again,
thank you for your willingness to step up. Mr. Stroman, one
thing you did when you were there is you helped me in Ohio with
regard to being sure that our Postal Service was working in
connection with the election, but also implementation of the
Synthetics Trafficking and Overdose Prevention Act of 2017
(STOP Act). I am still frustrated, as you know, that we have
not fully implemented it, although we have made good progress.
Unfortunately, the fentanyl is now moving more through Mexico
as a result. It has been very helpful, but it has not been
fully implemented.
Would you commit to personally being involved in this issue
and ensuring we can get the full implementation, including 100
percent advance electronic data from China?
Mr. Stroman. Absolutely, Mr. Chairman. I think getting that
data is not only--it is the law of the land, and it is key to
helping to prevent fentanyl and other illicit drugs coming into
the country. I think it is the responsibility of the Postal
Service to implement that, and you have my full assurance that
I will be personally involved in implementing that provision.
Senator Portman. Thank you, Mr. Stroman.
I do not have time to ask another question, Mr. Chairman. I
just want to put into the record that I asked all three of the
witnesses whether they had received any outside pressure with
regard to the firing of the current Postmaster General because
there are outside groups that have been asking the
administration to only put people forward who have made that
commitment. They all told me they had not made any commitments
and they had not been pressured. Is that accurate?
Mr. Hajjar. Yes.
Ms. McReynolds. Yes.
Mr. Stroman. Yes.
Senator Portman. OK. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Chairman Peters. Thank you, Ranking Member.
The Chair recognizes Senator Hassan for her questions.
OPENING STATEMENT OF SENATOR HASSAN
Senator Hassan. Thank you, Mr. Chair and Ranking Member
Portman, and good morning to all the witnesses. Thank you so
much for your service and your willingness to serve.
I have questions for each of you, so I am going to start
with Ms. Ahuja. It was nice to talk with you via Zoom whenever
that was, a week or two ago. The use of out-of-date and
commercially unsupported information technology by Federal
agencies is one of the main drivers of increased IT maintenance
costs because these aging systems rely on expensive expert and
contract personnel instead of a more nimble and generalized IT
workforce.
In addition, these systems diminish effective delivery of
services to the American people, including those struggling to
access their retirement benefits due to the Office of Personnel
Management's aging technology infrastructure and expose
agencies as well to security threats.
So as Director of the Office of Personnel Management, how
will you advocate for governmentwide IT modernization in order
to reduce costs associated with specialized contractors,
increased security, and improved service delivery to the
American people?
Ms. Ahuja. Thank you, Senator Hassan, and it was wonderful
to chat with you previously. We talked about this issue, and I
completely agree with you that we have to be able to move off
of these legacy systems, focus on IT modernization, and that
would be a high priority for me if I was confirmed.
There are a number of areas of focus that would need to
take place at OPM, the retirement services, of course, other
aspects of the personnel system, moving to a digital record,
those type of things. There is a real balance, and,
unfortunately, because of having to maintain legacy systems, it
has taken away from doing the modernization.
I will be up front with my colleagues in partnership with
them. I appreciate the IT Modernization Fund. I think that is a
big step forward.
Senator Hassan. Thank you very much.
To Mr. Hajjar, at my request the Postal Service Inspector
General (IG) issued a report that found that the main cause of
postal delays and poor service in New Hampshire was due to a
lack of permanent staff. Since the report came out in December
2020, the Postal Service has hired more than 150 new permanent
employees in New Hampshire, something that will surely help to
improve service to the Granite State.
Drawing on your experience as general counsel of the
American Postal Workers Union, how could the Postal Service
better engage with the postal unions to promote recruitment and
retention of a robust postal workforce in order to improve
service nationwide?
Mr. Hajjar. Senator, thank you for that question. The
Postal Reorganization Act focuses clearly on having a career
workforce and opportunities for advancement of the career
workforce, and the 10-year plan, I am pleased to see one aspect
of it is to refocus and depend on the career workforce. There
was a big turnover of the non-career workforce, which,
according to the 10-year plan, was a large contribution to the
service failures that we experienced. The 10-year plan also
dedicates itself specifically to complying with all collective
bargaining agreements with the unions. I am hopeful that the
Postal Service will do that, and by relying on well-trained,
reliable career workers, service will improve.
Senator Hassan. Thank you.
Now I am going to move on to Ms. McReynolds. Good morning.
Similar to Colorado, though not nearly as large, New Hampshire
has its fair share of rural remote mountainous areas that can
be difficult to access but, nevertheless, deserve reliable
delivery from the Postal Service to receive essential items
like prescriptions or food or to run their small businesses.
How will you draw on your experience working with rural or
remote communities in Colorado and across the country to
advocate for reliable service in hard-to-reach locations?
Ms. McReynolds. Thank you for the question, Senator, and I
did grow up in a rural community. My parents still live there.
I also in my work in Colorado at improving the voting systems,
I worked with rural communities across Colorado, and this was
actually a huge issue that when the postal network started to
change back in 2012 and there was consolidation of various
networks, we had a huge impact, and we had to have a lot of
conversations with the Postal Service about how to respond to
that, address that, and improve service in rural communities.
I absolutely think that rural communities are essential in
terms of any changes that get put forward with network or even
service, and we have to maintain it, and we have to maintain
the universal service obligation that is outlined clearly in
the law. It is important, I also believe, to engage rural
stakeholders directly on what is important to them, what they
need, what they do not have access to now, and look for
opportunities that are creative and innovative to better serve
them.
Senator Hassan. Thank you for that answer.
And now, Mr. Stroman, to stabilize the Postal Service's
financial position and institute reforms, there has to be a
good-faith exchange of information and ideas between Postal
Service leadership and Congress. Based on your own experience
working on congressional oversight, what will you do as a
Governor to promote transparency and accountability on behalf
of the Postal Service?
Mr. Stroman. Thank you for that question, Senator. I think
there are a couple of things that certainly I would want to do.
I have in my career worked in a bipartisan fashion to ensure
that there is a free flow of information. Congress is a key
stakeholder in overseeing the Postal Service and getting input
from the Postal Service, and I think it is incumbent on both
the Board and management to reach out and get information and
get the opinions of Congress and take that into account.
Ultimately, part of the financial stability of the Postal
Service rests in Congress' passing postal reform. In order for
that to happen, Congress needs to understand and communicate
clearly with the Postal Service, and I certainly commit, if I
am fortunate enough to be confirmed as a Governor, to work
closely with the Congress both in transmitting information and
responding to requests for information. We will hopefully work
together on postal reform legislation.
Senator Hassan. I would look forward to that. One thing I
would just add is that we are often are a source of data
collection for all of you, too. My office keeps track of
constituent calls and complaints about the Postal Service, and
it has been really important in getting some of these recent
improvements in New Hampshire that we were able to present the
information directly from constituents, which did not always
line up with what the Postal Service was telling us.
Mr. Stroman. Absolutely, and I would say, in my role as
Deputy Postmaster General, I received many of those concerns,
and they were enormously helpful in helping us pinpoint service
issues throughout the country. It is one of the ways that I
think we used that information to help improve service for the
American people. I absolutely agree with that.
Senator Hassan. Thank you, and thank you, Mr. Chair.
Chairman Peters. Thank you, Senator Hassan.
Senator Johnson, you are recognized for your questions.
OPENING STATEMENT OF SENATOR JOHNSON
Senator Johnson. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Senator Portman asked the Postal Board of Governors
nominees whether during the nomination process anybody asked
for your commitment in terms of, I think, the termination of
the Postmaster General, and you answered that nobody asked for
that commitment. I will expand the question a little bit
further. Did anybody in the nomination process talk about
Postmaster General DeJoy's performance? I will start with you,
Mr. Hajjar.
Mr. Hajjar. No, Senator.
Senator Johnson. Ms. McReynolds.
Ms. McReynolds. No, Senator.
Senator Johnson. Mr. Stroman.
Mr. Stroman. No, Senator.
Senator Johnson. One of the reasons I raise the question, I
think the Postmaster General was very unfairly criticized
during the lead-up to the election.
Mr. Stroman, having served in the Postal Service, let me
ask you, the retirement of the blue boxes, was there anything
unusual that occurred in the lead-up to the election or was
that pretty much scheduled retirements?
Mr. Stroman. Thank you for the question, Senator. I had
left, I think, by that time. Removal of blue mailboxes is
historically done with a density survey, so you determine what
the volume is in a blue mailbox. If it falls below a certain
level, then depending upon community input, you can remove the
blue mailbox consistent with the regulations of the Postal
Service.
Senator Johnson. Again, so this is an ongoing process,
correct?
Mr. Stroman. It is an ongoing process.
Senator Johnson. I would expect you probably maintained
some contacts in the Postal Service. Did you hear of anything
unusual in terms of removal of the blue boxes after you left?
Mr. Stroman. I will say to you, Senator, that I was
statutorily prohibited from having contact with employees at
the Postal Service.
Senator Johnson. OK. One of the issues that the Postmaster
General is addressing was the high cost of overtime. I do not
have the exact figures, but it is somewhere $4 to $5 billion
per year. Is that pretty accurate?
Mr. Stroman. Yes, I think that is right.
Senator Johnson. The way he addressed it--and I really want
kind of your perspective on this--was the first thing he
noticed--and he is a logistics expert--is that the Postal
Service was not adhering to their own dispatch schedules.
Trucks would sit around. They would wait until the final
envelope to get everything delivered exactly on time. When they
began adhering to those dispatch schedules, which was designed
to over time improve efficiency, improve service levels, while
dramatically decreasing overtime, that was what was going on in
terms of the initial dip in on-time delivery. Is that your
understanding of what was happening?
Mr. Stroman. My understanding, Senator, is that there was a
disconnect between processing and transportation. So the
transportation runs on a schedule, and that schedule should be
linked up with your processing of the mail and packages, and it
was not linked up, resulting in overtime because the mail was
not processed in time.
The problem was that, in order to solve that problem, you
have to fundamentally solve the problem on processing. And so
having the trucks leave on schedule means that mail was going
to be left and it was going to delay the mail.
I think if you looked at the IG report that the Postmaster
General had identified as the basis for that movement, the IG
report laid out about ten different processing steps that
needed to be taken, and I think you have to resolve that
problem. Then you can link up with your transportation
schedule. But identifying that is a legitimate issue that has
to be addressed, and one of the things to solve the financial
problems in the post is solving those efficiencies. I think
that is exactly the right thing to do.
Senator Johnson. Just to give you the opinion of other
Board of Governors, in a September 2020 report, Governor
William Zollars told the Washington Post--this is about DeJoy:
``He has 100 percent Board support. From a logistics and
operations standpoint, Louis DeJoy is as good as it gets. He
has support on both sides of the aisle.''
In a hearing here for a different nomination, John Barger
said that, ``When Louis DeJoy assumed the role of Postmaster
General, we were thrilled to be able to attract a person of his
caliber to the U.S. Government. The man is doing a tremendous
job.''
Finally, in a House Oversight Committee hearing in February
of this year, Democrat Chairman Ron Bloom said of DeJoy, ``The
Board of Governors believes the Postmaster General is, in very
difficult circumstances, doing a good job.''
I guess my own viewpoint, having met with and talked to the
Postmaster General, I would agree with certainly Mr. Bloom that
it is a tough job and he is doing a pretty good job, and he
brings a level of expertise. So, again, I am hoping that you
all maintain a very open mind and will work with somebody who
has that kind of logistics expertise.
Let me ask, one of the reasons I actually supported Ron
Bloom for the Board of Governors, when I asked him during a
hearing whether he supported the previous administration's task
force recommendation to reform the postal system without a
taxpayer bailout, Mr. Bloom agreed with that position.
Now, obviously, because of all the COVID relief, it looks
like the postal system will get a fair amount of taxpayer
bailout. Beyond that, though, would you also agree with that
assessment that the postal system has to come up with reforms
and do it on their own? Mr. Hajjar.
Mr. Hajjar. Thank you, Senator. Yes, I agree with that. The
Postal Reorganization Act requires the Postal Service to be
self-sufficient.
Senator Johnson. OK. I need to quick move on.
Ms. McReynolds, would you agree with that?
Ms. McReynolds. Yes, and I agree under the law it is
supposed to be self-sufficient, so that is certainly what our
goal should be.
Senator Johnson. OK. Mr. Stroman.
Mr. Stroman. I agree. It is an independent entity within
the Executive Branch.
Senator Johnson. I think the other issue really is an
upgrade to their vehicle fleet and their equipment. I know
there have been some contracts let out. Do you also agree, all
three of you--that we do have to upgrade the vehicle fleet and
that is an important priority of the postal system? I will
start with you, Mr. Stroman.
Mr. Stroman. Yes, that is certainly a priority, but there
are other priorities as well in terms of the infrastructure of
the Postal Service. But that certainly is a major priority
given the age of the fleet.
Senator Johnson. Ms. McReynolds.
Ms. McReynolds. Yes, and I would add that there are other
infrastructure priorities as well.
Senator Johnson. OK. Mr. Hajjar.
Mr. Hajjar. There is no doubt that the fleet needs to be
upgraded. It is a very old fleet.
Senator Johnson. OK. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Chairman Peters. Thank you, Senator Johnson.
Senator Lankford, you are recognized for your questions.
OPENING STATEMENT OF SENATOR LANKFORD
Senator Lankford. Thank you. Thank you, Chair.
Ms. Ahuja, let us get a chance to be able to visit some
more. We visited by phone recently, and so let us get the
opportunity to be able to follow up on a few of these things.
Senator Portman asked you earlier about remote work and about
telework and how quickly can we get people in. I am going to
ask you the opposite. Are there jobs that you feel like we have
discovered during the last year that could be permanently
remote work? What I am focused on are areas of spouses that
work for people in the United States military on active duty.
Their spouses have a very difficult time getting jobs in
different places. If they were allowed to work remotely, they
could be assigned with their spouse anywhere in the world and
still have the opportunity to be able to work for one of our
agencies, and that would open up a lot of opportunities for
them.
What I want to ask you about is what your opinion on remote
work in the sense identifying jobs that could be permanently
and assumed they are not going to be in Washington, D.C., but
work with some of the agencies.
Ms. Ahuja. Thank you, Senator Lankford. I enjoyed having
that conversation with you a few days ago. I am very much in
support of the opportunities that telework and remote work
would provide, and if confirmed as OPM Director, that would be
something that I would definitely be leaning into. I think we
are completely rethinking work at this moment, not just the
Federal Government but for all across the country. I think not
only does it give opportunities to individuals who are not
necessarily based in an urban center, but a way to actually
provide service and give our thanks especially to military
spouses in places where they are located in remote locations.
I also think there are opportunities on how we think about
locality pay, where there are savings in that sense, as well as
really the size and, expansion of an office footprint. There
will be definitely some of that retraction related to some of
the savings there.
Senator Lankford. OK. We will look forward to that ongoing
dialog, if you are confirmed, on that because I think this is
an essential next step for us in the Federal workforce.
Let us flip to the other side, not just from hiring and
listing new jobs but for retirees. The most common issue I hear
from Federal retirees is the simple fact that if they work for
multiple agencies, getting them into the retirement benefits
process, it takes months for them. How do we make that faster?
How do we get a smoother system so there is a seamless process
from application, interview, all the way on-boarding, through
their reviews, all the way to retirement as well?
Ms. Ahuja. Sure. Senator, just to be clear, you are talking
about the full retirement process.
Senator Lankford. That is correct.
Ms. Ahuja. As you know, it is a paper-based process, which
I think lends itself to being very expensive and very long and
I think with multiple agencies and different payroll providers,
and as long as it is paper-based, I think we are going to have
these challenges of length of time.
If I was confirmed as OPM Director, I would commit to an IT
modernization plan for retirement services, certainly short-
term goals around a new call center technology, piloting modern
retiree experiences, fast track for applications that, are
easier to kind of manage, as well as more long term. I really
do think that--and this is not just retirement services--the
way to improve these times is ultimately through the IT
modernization process that is going to be required.
Senator Lankford. Yes, it will definitely be required.
Unfortunately, every Director of OPM has said almost exactly
that for the last several years. How do we actually move from
talking about that to doing it? What do you think is going to
be a key aspect?
Ms. Ahuja. I think it helps that we have the IT
Modernization Fund, to be quite honest. It has not existed in
the past, and I think resources are needed.
In the case of OPM, I think the challenges have been not
having stable leadership at the top. As I mentioned to you,
Senator Lankford, I commit to being there as long as I have the
support of all of you and President Biden, because I do think
it is going to be needed.
Senator Lankford. Great. Yes, we have had multiple
Directors here for a while and a lot of change, and that is
hard to be able to get things moving on it.
Shifting a little bit about Federal employee health
benefits, OPM runs one of the largest systems for insurance in
the country, so what OPM does affects not only Federal workers
but affects everyone in that sense and how actually insurance
is handled, because it is such a large provider in the middle
for Federal employee health benefits. Senator Portman earlier
asked you about some of the previous statements you have made.
You have been very public on your preference on abortion. I
understand that. That is your right as an American to be able
to express your opinions publicly. But stepping into this role,
we also have the Hyde amendment, the Smith amendment, very
clear legal boundaries that we do not use Federal dollars for
abortion providing nor trying to incentivize that in any way.
Now, that would not have been as much of an issue, but in
the $2 trillion COVID package that Democrats passed on a
straight party line just a few weeks ago, they for the first
time in 40 years included funding for Hyde provisions and
actually broke that lock solid rule that has been there for
that particular set of funds. So this has now become a much
bigger issue.
So my straightforward question is: Regardless of your
personal views on this, would you follow the law on the issue
of abortion financing through using Federal health dollars or
Federal tax dollars to provide abortion?
Ms. Ahuja. Thank you, Senator, for that question. I
understand the role and responsibilities for this position, and
I would absolutely follow the law.
Senator Lankford. OK. Thank you for that.
There is some debate right now as well, and there will be
another difficult issue out there just for policy. We as
Americans and to the Federal Government are neutral to every
single American. Every American is valued. Every American is
equal across the board. But we have some unique health
challenges when we talk about transgender and sex reassignment
surgeries, especially for children, and there has been a push
to say for the Federal employee health benefits that we should
allow sex reassignment surgeries and also puberty blockers for
children. There are a lot of medical professionals that are
very uncomfortable with that. How will you manage a decision
like that when you have activists saying one thing and health
professionals saying another and trying to be able to strike
that balance?
Ms. Ahuja. Thank you, Senator, for that question. I do
understand that there are strong views on both sides. I do
think, again, as my role and responsibility as OPM Director, if
I was confirmed--we talked about this before--I think there are
some significant issues as an employee-sponsored health
program, the largest one, around ensuring that benefits are
comprehensive, they are competitive, there is parity between
mental health services. And, right now I am not inside OPM, but
I would commit to better understanding the issue, getting a
sense of what is happening inside the agency, and to have a
further conversation with you to understand your concerns and
take that into consideration.
Senator Lankford. Right. This was an area we will
definitely continue to talk about, because there are lots of
concerns that taxpayers will actually bring to me and will
bring to others to say, hey, I want to respect all people, but
there are a lot of medical questions here and there are a lot
of questions just about Federal tax dollars and where that is
going to go. I would be interested to be able to maintain that
ongoing dialog.
For the postal nominees, I apologize. I have not had the
opportunity to be able to visit with you as we were limited on
time. Embarrassingly enough, I will email you some questions
for the record.\1\ I guess I should put a stamp on them and
mail them to you. [Laughter.]
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ The questions of Senator Lankford appears in the Appendix on
page 90.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
But we will contact you with some questions for the record
to be able to follow up.
Thank you. We have all had the opportunity to be able to
visit one on one already as well, so thank you.
Mr. Hajjar. Thank you, Senator.
Ms. McReynolds. Thank you.
Mr. Stroman. Thank you.
Chairman Peters. Thank you, Senator Lankford.
Senator Padilla, you are recognized for your questions.
OPENING STATEMENT OF SENATOR PADILLA
Senator Padilla. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I have questions for
Ms. Ahuja. I appreciate the opportunity to be connected by
phone previously, so I just wanted to follow up on the
conversation in this setting. We both recognize there are sort
of two kind of diverging dynamics as it pertains to our Federal
workforce. Number one, the large number of our Federal
employees, particularly at the upper management levels or
leadership levels, that are eligible for retirement in the next
decade, and thoughts on, the state of affairs when it comes to
succession planning and training and grooming the next
generation of leaders, that being number one. Number two, the
question about the diversity of our workforce and, being
intentional about recruitment and retention as we strive for a
workforce that is reflective of our Nation.
I want to spend just a couple minutes talking about those
and especially where they intersect and opportunity to elevate
leadership in various departments and agencies that, again, are
not as diverse as our beautiful country.
Ms. Ahuja. Thank you, Senator, for that question, and I was
going to say the same, but I think they do intersect when you
are talking about or thinking about the retirement wave, about
succession planning, how we are thinking about recruitment. A
part of that is being focused on the support of the individuals
inside the government already, giving them training
opportunities, being hyperfocused on professional development
that is going to be important.
I think one thing that we have learned from this pandemic
is that our workforce is incredibly important and that we
should really be focused on the kinds of opportunities that
they are being provided and the value and contributions of
their service.
I would say there is a real opportunities with some of what
I call the ``feeder programs,'' which are expanding the
Presidential Management Fellows Program (PMF), where we can
work out some of the kinks with the Pathways Program, focused
on bringing in individuals early in their career.
I have always said the Federal Government should be able to
be quite competitive because it has an amazing mission, and
that is a huge draw, I think, for people early in their
careers, and we really should take advantage of that and really
focus on diversity. Our workforce should reflect the diversity
in this country. It is a huge asset. It gives us a competitive
advantage. I think individuals want to see not only diversity
all throughout the workforce but in the senior ranks, that they
see individuals that come from their communities, that there is
a breadth of experience and people bringing those experiences
from all walks of life.
So I do agree with you. I think it is an important priority
for us to have collectively, and it is something that I will
focus on, if confirmed.
Senator Padilla. I think also anytime in our country where
people with significant private sector experience or even in
academia are more than able and willing to establish some sort
of public service. I look forward to continuing our
conversation and efforts in that regard.
The next question is for Mr. Hajjar, Ms. McReynolds, and
Mr. Stroman. As we have had a chance to discuss previously as
well, I had what was a deep but very specific experience with
USPS in the service delivery side in my prior capacity as
California's Secretary of State, particularly as we moved the
most populous State in the Nation with the largest electorate
of any State in the Nation strongly and critically in the
direction of a lot more vote by mail than had been previous
popular. But the vast majority of the Californians voting last
year were by mail, and working through issues of transition, et
cetera, we had a chance to experience a lot of the mechanics
and logistics of Postal Service delivery, not just when it came
to ballots but voter information guides and, political mail, et
cetera. I had the insight of the changing dynamics in the
Postal Service generally over time, particularly during COVID,
letter mail versus package delivery, et cetera.
The one question I would direct to each of you is: Post
that discussion and given your respective perspectives getting
here, what ideas do you have for further evolution, service
improvements through the Postal Service, any ideas to improving
further on our effectiveness and our efficiency and the equity
of Postal Service delivery? We know it is important for
Americans not just because of elections, but whether it is
receiving mail, commercial activity, prescriptions, and so much
more? I will turn it over to each of you for a quick response.
Mr. Hajjar. Thank you, Senator. I will start by saying that
the service deteriorations really are simply unacceptable, and
we need improvement. I think it is right there in the
Postmaster General's 10-year plan that he wants to bring back
the confidence of the American people in the Postal Service. I
think that has to be the first priority. There are a lot of
important aspects to the 10-year plan. Some of them are quite
lengthy, but the number one thing, I think, is to restore
service so that people do not have their confidence shaken in
the ability of the Postal Service to deliver effective, timely,
reliable service.
Ms. McReynolds. Thank you, Senator Padilla, for that
question. I think there are multiple ways to improve service
while also creating innovations that increase the
accountability and transparency for customers and for those
that use the Postal Service. One good example that I just want
to highlight is something that you implemented statewide in
California and that I also helped a few other States implement
for the 2020 election, which was a system called ``ballot
tracking,'' and that really is similar to what the Postal
Service has in terms of informed delivery. But ballot tracking
specifically for election mail increases accountability and
security for vote by mail, in particular, and California was
certainly a leader, and Nevada and Georgia. We actually helped
both Nevada and Georgia in 2020 implement both of those systems
that provided significantly improved service to those that were
using the Postal Service to send their ballots back.
Mr. Stroman. Thank you for the question, Senator. Several
things. One thing is non-career employees. One of the
provisions of the Postmaster General's plan is a reduction on
reliance on non-career employees. Non-career employees save you
some money, but they do hurt you on the service side because
the turnover there is very high. I think less reliance on non-
career, more reliance on career employees. I think training is
absolutely critical. You have to invest in training. You have
to have an organizational structure that allows, I think, all
of the services issues to be resolved very quickly, very
promptly.
Ultimately, though, I think it is data. You have to have a
system of analysis of key data points that identify where
problems are and resolve them at the lowest possible level.
Then you have to have a system where you are engaging with
your customers and you are engaging with the public. We talked
a little bit with Senator Hassan about input from customers all
throughout the Nation, so ensuring that you have a structure
which allows you to get input. The Postal Service meets
quarterly with Members of Congress out in the field, and that
is an opportunity to hear from constituents across the country.
So getting that input and using that input to solve problems I
think is critical.
Senator Padilla. Thank you to all of you. I look forward to
our ongoing conversation and work together.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Chairman Peters. Thank you, Senator Padilla.
Senator Hawley, you are recognized for your questions.
OPENING STATEMENT OF SENATOR HAWLEY
Senator Hawley. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thanks to all
of the witnesses for being here. Congratulations on your
nominations.
Ms. Ahuja, if I could just start with you, last September
it was reported that employees in the Executive Branch were
required to attend workplace diversity trainings in which they
were told that--I am quoting now--``virtually all white people
contribute to racism'' and were required to say that ``they
benefit from racism,'' they, the employees, along with other
ideas that, frankly, I think are deeply divisive, amount to
left-wing indoctrination, and really are attempts to divide the
American people, in this case Federal employees, along the
lines of race.
I bring this up because you have experience at OPM from
2015 to 2017, I believe. Were you involved in any capacity or
in creating or organizing these particular trainings? Do you
recall?
Ms. Ahuja. Thank you, Senator, for that question. No, I was
not involved in those trainings, but I am aware, in my current
organization--and we work with a lot of members in the
Northwest--that a lot of companies are using diversity
inclusion trainings. They find it an important resource to
create a supportive and inclusive environment and really help
them have a competitive advantage of really understanding
people from all walks of life. So not particular to OPM, but
certainly I have seen it more broadly being used in this
country more and more.
Senator Hawley. And do you support--I mean, the last
administration ceased diversity training that contained any
elements of what is sometimes called ``critical race theory.''
Do you agree with that decision by the prior administration or
no?
Ms. Ahuja. Thank you, Senator, for that question. I do not
know specifics about the trainings that you are citing. The
ones that I have been exposed to and been familiar with have
really encouraged understanding people from all walks of life,
really creating an inclusive work environment. I especially
think for the younger generation that is what they are looking
for, not only individuals who look like them, that there is a
diverse workforce, but that there is an understanding in value
for the experiences that people have had.
Senator Hawley. Let me ask you this: During your time as
CEO at Philanthropy Northwest, you have repeatedly invoked the
work of Dr. Kendi, who has become famous for his theory of
anti-racism. In a blog post that you wrote, you endorsed an
article by Dr. Kendi where he claimed that Donald Trump's
election in 2016 was an example of ``racist progress.'' Those
are his words--``racist progress.''
Do you agree with Dr. Kendi's claim that the election of
the former President was racist progress?
Ms. Ahuja. Thank you, Senator, for that question. I have
worked with Dr. Kendi. He has come to speak at events where we
have promoted greater conversation around issues of racial
equity and equality. I do not know specific to that statement,
but he has been, within the philanthropic space, a thought
leader around how to think about issues of achieving greater
equity, especially in, communities of color, how can funders
think about how will they allocate their grantmaking, the type
of partnerships that they pursue.
I think in that respect, he has tried to provide a
perspective of how to have a more nuanced understanding of
where resources should go based on the historical experiences
and history within this country of which communities have
really had challenges along the way.
Senator Hawley. But let me just ask you for your own view.
I mean, you have cited and as I said in a blog post you wrote
endorsed the article in which he made this claim. But setting
aside whatever his view may be--he is not here today--but your
view, do you agree that the election of Donald Trump is an
example of racist progress in this country?
Ms. Ahuja. Senator Hawley, I thank you for that question. I
have not made any of those type of statements about the
election. I have been in the philanthropic space for the past
few years, and so, no, I cannot speak to that particular
position that Dr. Kendi has made.
Senator Hawley. But I am asking you if you agree with it,
because you wrote a blog post in which you endorsed the
article. I am just asking--I am not asking you now about his
view. I am asking you, in your capacity, do you agree, do you
think that the election of Donald Trump is an example of racist
progress in this country?
Ms. Ahuja. Again, thank you, Senator. I do not recall this
article that you are referring to, unfortunately. But I would
not make those type of statements, no.
Senator Hawley. Do you think the United States is a
systemically racist Nation? Is that fair to say?
Ms. Ahuja. Thank you, Senator Hawley. I appreciate this
line of questions. I am a big believer that--and I am sure this
is a value we all hold, that we seek to ensure that everyone
has equal opportunity in this country. I understand and
appreciate also that the historical challenges that many
individuals have experienced based on their race or ethnicity.
I think it is important that we have that understanding in
addressing problems and inequities. Having very tailored
approaches, that is the work we did in the philanthropic space,
was to understand the experience of indigenous peoples,
especially in the Northwest, what are the type of solutions
that our funders may want to think about as far as supporting
those communities, and so on.
Senator Hawley. I am asking these questions because you are
seeking to be confirmed to lead to what is effectively the
Federal Government's H.R. department. It is a very important
position, a very important agency. It impacts millions of
Federal employees, civil servants across the country. I want to
make sure that in this job and in this position that we are
committed to unifying Americans, not dividing them, certainly
not dividing them along the lines of race. Some of the things
that we saw this past year attributed to critical race theory
and promoted by the Federal Government, including statements
like the nuclear family is an inherently white concept,
Christianity is an inherently white religion, other statements
about work ethic being white concepts, these to me frankly seem
insane and also racist. I mean, if they came out of the mouth
of a white person, you would say that is unbelievably racist.
That kind of--and these were in trainings. Those I am just
referencing were developed by the Smithsonian, but these were
in the training materials for Federal employees, for public
officials.
I think it is vital that we commit to not trying to divide
Americans along lines of race, and so my question to you, my
final question to you, is: Will you commit to uphold and
protect our merit-based employment system and the core values
that underpin that and not any effort to introduce
considerations of political ideology, racial ideology, or
anything other than the merit-based employment system and the
laws that define what those considerations and qualifications
should be?
Ms. Ahuja. Thank you, Senator. I do understand the role of
this position. I very much take that very seriously and
upholding merit system principles. I also understand the value
of no one should be discriminated based on their race. I was a
former civil rights lawyer, and I take that very seriously.
I think we all uphold what Martin Luther King, Jr., said,
which is we should be judged by the content of our character
and not the color of our skin, and that is the approach that I
have taken.
Senator Hawley. Very good. I see I am out of time, Mr.
Chairman. I think we also have a vote called. I will put this
for the record. I want to make sure for the Board of Governors,
as a State with many rural communities, I want to make sure--
and I will give this to you--we do not have time to answer it,
but I will give it to you for the record.\1\ I want to make
sure that we protect rural delivery and rural post offices.
That is so important to my State. Millions of Missourians rely
on that and others across the country. But I just want to get
from you your commitment--again, we will do it for the record--
that you will work to protect access and delivery services for
rural Americans. I will give that to you in writing.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ The question of Senator Hawley appears in the Appendix on page
98.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thank you so much, Mr. Chairman.
Chairman Peters. Thank you, Senator Hawley.
Senator Ossoff, you are recognized for your questions.
OPENING STATEMENT OF SENATOR OSSOFF
Senator Ossoff. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate you
convening this hearing. Congratulations to our panelists for
your nominations to these high posts, and thank you for putting
yourselves and your families through the process.
There are a couple of Georgia connections today that I want
to acknowledge. Ms. Ahuja, of course, you are a Georgia native
and an alumna of Spelman and of UGA Law School. Thank you for
making Georgia proud.
Mr. Stroman, I understand your son is a Morehouse man. Is
that correct?
Mr. Stroman. That is correct.
Senator Ossoff. Excellent. Well, pleased to be speaking
with you.
I want to touch briefly on an issue that is of great
concern to many Georgians, and that is the decline in the
timely mail service, particularly over the last year. Many
Georgians who rely upon USPS to receive prescription drugs, to
receive correspondence and gifts from family and friends, many
small businesses who rely upon USPS for vital business purposes
have contacted me to express their concern about the slow pace
of mail delivery over the last year. To the three nominated
potential Governors at the USPS, I would just like a quick
commitment from you that you will meet with my office and, if
necessary, come down to Georgia to investigate what may be
slowing down the mail and to ensure that we restore timely mail
delivery for the people of Georgia. We could just start with
you, please, Mr. Hajjar.
Mr. Hajjar. Absolutely, Senator, I commit to that. Service
is the most important function of the Postal Service, of
course, prompt, reliable, and efficient service. We have to get
to the bottom of why there are problems, and we have to be sure
to correct them; and, if necessary, to investigate Georgia in
particular, I commit to doing that.
Senator Ossoff. Thank you.
Ms. McReynolds.
Ms. McReynolds. Yes, Senator, you have my commitment on
that, and I would also just say that feedback from your
constituents, as Senator Hassan mentioned earlier, is also
going to be critical for the work that we need to do to improve
service. So any and all feedback that you are receiving,
certainly we will be interested in getting that.
Senator Ossoff. Thank you. Mr. Stroman.
Mr. Stroman. Thank you, Senator. Yes, service is going to
be certainly one of my highest priorities, and you have my
commitment to focusing on that issue and working with you on
that issue.
Senator Ossoff. Thank you, And, Ms. Ahuja, I want to raise
with you a concern regarding cybersecurity at OPM, infamously a
huge trove of sensitive records. Personal identifying
information (PII) for U.S. civil and public servants in
national security positions was stolen from OPM in recent
years. Efforts have been made to improve cybersecurity, but we
continue to see across the Federal Government and throughout
the private sector a high level of vulnerability to cyber
attacks.
Ms. Ahuja, will you commit to working with this Committee
and my office and to responding promptly to requests for
information? Will you agree to meet with me and this Committee
at our request to discuss the efforts that OPM is making to
improve cybersecurity and protect all of the sensitive data
about U.S. citizens and U.S. Federal employees that OPM
stewards?
Ms. Ahuja. Thank you, Senator Ossoff, for that question,
and I will absolutely commit to you on all those items. As you
know, I was there at OPM right after the data breaches. I had
that experience and understand how incredibly important these
issues are and the lessons that were learned and what we would
take forward, if I am confirmed as OPM Director.
Senator Ossoff. I am glad to hear that, Ms. Ahuja. Thank
you. As you well know much of the data that you will steward in
this position, should you be confirmed, is highly sensitive,
even if it is unclassified, and we need to be making a stronger
effort across the Federal Government to protect sensitive
information and defend our networks and our data.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I yield back.
Chairman Peters. Thank you, Senator Ossoff.
Senator Carper, you are recognized for your questions.
OPENING STATEMENT OF SENATOR CARPER
Senator Carper. Thanks, Mr. Chairman. Welcome to all of our
witnesses. I especially want to welcome Ron Stroman, whom we
have known and worked with for many years. Ron, very good to
see you.
It is a very special day. As some of you know, today is
Earth Day. Perhaps the greatest challenge that we face on our
planet today is climate change, the climate crisis, extreme
weather, incidents all over the world.
The greatest sources of emissions with respect to
greenhouse gases is from our mobile sources. A decade or so
ago--this will sound familiar to Gary Peters, our Chairman. A
decade or so ago I was at the Detroit auto show, and I think
with Senator Stabenow, maybe it was with then-Congressman
Peters. I am not sure. But the car of the year, vehicle of the
year that year was the Chevrolet Volt. It got about 38 miles
per charge. A hybrid vehicle, 38 miles per charge.
I was out shopping for a new car a couple weeks ago, and I
think it was a Tesla that got about 350 miles on a charge, and
they showed me another one that got about 400 miles on a
charge. But we have General Motors (GM) and we have Ford doing
remarkable things as well with respect to the ability to get
electric vehicles out there that just perform amazing things.
I think Ford--maybe GM announced earlier this year they are
not going to build any gas-or diesel-powered vehicles in this
country or maybe in the world after 2035. I think we have a
similar announcement coming from Ford. I understand that the
Postal Service is engaged with a company up in Oshkosh,
Wisconsin, to purchase up to 165,000 new vehicles with vehicle
rollout between 2023 and 2033. I understand that the Postal
Service plans an initial order of 75,000 vehicles, some 10
percent of which will be electric. So that would be 7,500
vehicles. They need to order about 165,000 vehicles in the next
decade or so, and we are looking at an initial order of
vehicles up to 75,000 of which 10 percent will be electric. I
understand there is a provision in the contract that--they may
have a provision that would allow the Postal Service to say,
no, we would like to have some of those vehicles to be
electric, not diesel or gasoline.
I just want to say to the folks who have been nominated to
serve on the Postal Board, the Postal Service has a great
opportunity here to take the lead in combating climate change,
and that is by moving away from internal combustion engines and
the emissions they produce and by investing in a fleet that is
more of an electric fleet.
I would like to submit for the record for our Postal Board
of Governor nominees regarding what actions the Postal Service
can take to ensure that they are taking appropriate action to
address the threat of climate change to our planet. If we end
up 10 years from now and 165,000 postal vehicles have been
ordered and are being built and put out on the road and we end
up with just, I will say, 10,000, 20,000, or 30,000 of them are
electric or maybe powered by hydrogen and fuel cells, if that
is all we do, we have really missed a great opportunity. And
especially on Earth Day, I want us to take that message to
heart.
I just would say to each of the nominees for the Postal
Board of Governors, will you respond for the record\1\ and
share with us your thoughts on this matter, please? Just yes or
no. Just go down the list. Mr. Stroman.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ The information referenced by Senator Carper appears in the
Appendix on page 147.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mr. Stroman. Yes, Senator.
Ms. McReynolds. Yes, Senator.
Mr. Hajjar. I will say yes again.
Senator Carper. Thank you.
I have another question for the nominees for the Postal
Board of Governors. The Postal Service has the obligation, some
say the burden, of going to every mailbox in the country
roughly six times a week--whether they have a lot of mail to
drop in a mailbox or just a little bit of mail to drop in our
mailboxes. Einstein used to say, ``In adversity lies
opportunity,'' and we have to be smart enough--the Postal
Service can cut costs and innovate and so on, but we have to
come up with ways to take that burden and make it another
particular. How do we monetize that obligation? It is really an
obligation that goes back to the Constitution.
I want each of you to just give me one idea. How do we
monetize that obligation to turn it into real revenue with the
Postal Service going forward? Ron, why don't you go first, then
Anton and then Amber, please.
Mr. Stroman. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Senator Carper. And be brief. Get right to the point,
please.
Mr. Stroman. OK I will get right to the point. One
recommendation would be that platforms, technology platforms
are really changing the way businesses work and interact. The
Postal Service could establish a platform working with the
Small Business Administration (SBA) to really improve shipping
and delivery charges all across the country. This is
particularly important coming out of the pandemic, and I think
if the Postal Service can strengthen its IT infrastructure, it
provides just a tremendous opportunity to be able to improve
its relationship with small businesses and help grow the
business.
Senator Carper. All right. Thanks very much.
Anton.
Mr. Hajjar. Yes, two things, Senator. One is the plan to
pursue the growing market in packages. That is helpful, and it
is complicated. It may require a whole different network to
perform it, but that is one thing. And providing services in
post offices where there is a need is also a helpful way to
capitalize on the network that exists in the Postal Service
today.
Senator Carper. Thank you. Ms. McReynolds, please, the same
question.
Ms. McReynolds. Thank you for the question, Senator, and I
agree with my colleagues both in the enhancements for small
business services and also package delivery options. And then I
will add one more. Being a local official and working in
election administration, I think there are tremendous
opportunities that are being missed that we can look at from a
partnership level with State and local government. A good
example, just one offhand, the National Change of Address data
base is a vital and very useful set of data for State and local
government, not only for elections but other purposes, and that
is largely being underutilized right now in States. I think
there is an opportunity to consider some of these other
opportunities that maybe have not been looked at previously for
possible expansions of revenue and at least to improve service.
Senator Carper. Thank you. One last question for the
record, if I could, Mr. Chairman. A 2010 report of the Postal
Regulatory Commission (PRC) recommended adopting private sector
pension cost allocation methods for the postal account within
the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund (CSRDF) to
more accurately, more fairly allocate the retirement benefit
costs for postal retirees between the Federal Government and
the Postal Service. If confirmed, Kiran, could I ask you to
answer just for the record,\1\ to commit to reviewing the
recommendations of this report and taking action as
appropriate? You do not have to respond now, but we will do
this for the record.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ The information requested by Senator Carper appears in the
Appendix on page 275.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
All right. Mr. Chairman, a very important hearing. I am
grateful to the folks who are willing to serve in these
capacities, heading up OPM and also serving on the Postal Board
of Governors.
Thank you so much.
Chairman Peters. Thank you, Senator Carper.
Senator Rosen, you are recognized for your questions.
OPENING STATEMENT OF SENATOR ROSEN
Senator Rosen. Thank you, Chairman Peters, Ranking Member
Portman. Thank you to each of our witnesses and their families
for your time today and for stepping up and being willing to
serve our country at such a crucial time.
I want to speak quickly about postal rural delivery,
because in Nevada, during this pandemic the Postal Service has
been of particular importance to our rural communities, even
more so to our rural seniors. In many cases the men and the
women who deliver the mail are the only people that they may
see in a day, maybe in a week. I have heard countless stories
from letter carriers that they check on the welfare of seniors
who live on their routes, and they serve a role far beyond
delivering the mail.
Mr. Hajjar, when we spoke last week, you told me about the
time you spent working on postal issues, so I know you are
familiar with the importance of the Postal Service to Nevadans,
and I want to be sure that we ensure rural communities have
access to robust, reliable services from the USPS, so rural
communities like Beatty, Nevada, that has a population of just
around 800; Caliente, a population just around 900. The Postal
Service, again, plays a critical role.
Mr. Hajjar, when we are making operational changes, what
rural-specific factors should the Postal Service take into
account?
Mr. Hajjar. Thank you for that question, Senator. We know
from the last round of consolidations that service plummeted,
and we are still suffering with the deterioration of service
that came from that. So that has to be taken into account when
plans are consolidated and offices are consolidated. The
communities have to be consulted specifically, and those views
have to be taken into account. It is written in the law. It is
also written in the law that the Postal Service must supply a
maximum degree of effective services to all communities and
specifically to rural communities. So that is the law, that is
what is required, and that is what I am going to be dedicated
to doing if I am fortunate enough to be confirmed.
Senator Rosen. Thank you. That leads into my next question
about the universal service obligation. Although it is not
clearly defined in statute, I would like to hear from you, Ms.
McReynolds, and then Mr. Stroman, how you feel about what you
believe the universal service obligation means.
Ms. McReynolds. Thank you, Senator Rosen, and for me, while
it is not clearly defined, for me the universal service
obligation means that every American should expect reliable,
affordable, and equitable service across the country. As we
talked about when we last spoke, I did grow up in a rural
community, and in my work with election administration, I
understand very clearly the needs of rural communities, and I
think what is even more important is to engage rural
communities and stakeholders within those communities about the
needs that they have specifically with regards to the Postal
Service and their businesses and everything else that they rely
on the Postal Service for.
Senator Rosen. Mr. Stroman, do you want to tell me how you
feel about the universal service obligation?
Mr. Stroman. Thank you, Senator Rosen. I think it is one of
the foundational principles for the Postal Service. All
Americans should be able to send and receive mail and access
postal services at a reasonable rate, 6 days a week. I think it
is one of the strengths of the Postal Service. If you go back
and look at the Postal Reorganization Act, one of the founding
principles is rural America. I have gone to rural parts of the
country, and I have talked to rural business owners, and I have
talked to customers, and I know how dependent they are on the
Postal Service.
It is absolutely critical that the Postal Service provide
its reasonable access, delivery services to all parts of the
country, but particularly to rural parts of our Nation.
Senator Rosen. Thank you. I appreciate that. I think it is
a foundational principle as well. But I would like to move
quickly to the implementation of the STOP Act. Ranking Member
Portman introduced that. I was proud to cosponsor it because we
know that much of our supply of potent synthetic opioids enters
the U.S. illegally, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement
Agency (DEA), through our mail system. Las Vegas Valley,
unfortunately, is a big market and an important hub, again, I
am sorry to say, for illegal narcotics. The DEA and the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in one of their threat
assessments in 2018 had Nevada as having one of the highest
death rates for overdose from semi-synthetic prescription pain
medication.
Again, Ranking Member Portman's STOP Act, how do you think
that is going to help us stop the flow of these illegal drugs
coming through the mail? I guess I have a little time left. I
will start back with you, Mr. Stroman, and then if we have
time, Ms. McReynolds, please.
Mr. Stroman. Thank you, Senator, for that question. I think
it is going to be and it has been enormously helpful, the
Postal Service takes the advance electronic data and works with
Customs and Border Protection (CBP). It is Customs and Border
Protection's responsibility to determine whether or not they
believe there may be illicit drugs coming into our shores from
overseas. So having that information that the Postal Service
can access is absolutely critical.
As I said to Senator Portman, I think that the Postal
Service has a responsibility to enforce that provision, work
with Customs and Border Protection to implement it. I think it
will be and has been an important tool to help identifying and
preventing illicit drugs from coming into the country.
Senator Rosen. I think I am going to have to take Ms.
McReynolds' and Mr. Hajjar's comments off the record. We will
submit them. I believe my time has expired, Mr. Chairman, so we
will just ask for them to submit that in writing to us.
Thank you.
Chairman Peters. Thank you, Senator Rosen, for your
questions.
I want to take this opportunity to thank all of you for
being here today, and congratulations again to each and every
one of you for your nominations for these very important
positions. We certainly appreciated the opportunity to ask you
questions, and we will begin our adjournment process right now.
In order to close this hearing, I am going to make the
following statement: All of the nominees have made financial
disclosures\1\ and provided responses to biographical and
prehearing questions submitted by this Committee.\2\ Without
objection, this information will be made part of the hearing
record,\3\ with the exception of the financial data, which is
on file and available for public inspection at the Committee
office.\4\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ The information of Ms. Ahuja appears in the Appendix on page
43.
\2\ The information of Mr. Hajjar appears in the Appendix on page
107.
\3\ The information of Ms. McReynolds appear in the Appendix on
page 163.
\4\ The information of Mr. Stroman appears in the Appendix on page
233.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The hearing record will remain open until 12 p.m. tomorrow,
April 23rd, for the submission of statements and questions for
the record. With that, this hearing is now adjourned.
[Whereupon, at 12:10 p.m., the Committee was adjourned.]
A P P E N D I X
----------
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
[all]