[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
        
        
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                    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.
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    \1\ The prepared statement of Mr. Stroman appears in the Appendix 
on page 231.
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    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.]
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    \1\ The questions of Senator Lankford appears in the Appendix on 
page 90.
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    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.
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    \1\ The question of Senator Hawley appears in the Appendix on page 
98.
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    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

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