Krishnamoorthi Demands Postmaster General Steiner Resign After USPS Finalizes Trump-Backed Mail Ballot Restrictions Despite Court Order

WASHINGTON - Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), a senior member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, today renewed his call for Postmaster General David Steiner to resign after the United States Postal Service finalized a rule restricting the delivery of mail ballots under President Trump's election mail executive order despite an active federal court order expressly prohibiting Steiner from completing that rulemaking.

In the letter, Krishnamoorthi writes:

"What makes this even more troubling is that you previously assured Congress that you would do otherwise. At a June hearing before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, you stated that the Postal Service 'would comply with any court orders regarding voting by mail.' You reiterated that assurance days later. Those were not casual remarks. They were commitments made under oath before the congressional committee responsible for overseeing your agency."

On August 11, Judge Indira Talwani barred Steiner by name from "initiating or completing rulemaking to promulgate" the rule. Ten days later, at approximately 9:00 p.m. on August 21, USPS finalized the 95-page rule and scheduled it to take effect before it could even be published in the Federal Register. The policy remains blocked by two federal injunctions, and USPS has acknowledged that it lacks the legal authority to implement it for the 2026 election absent further relief from the courts.

Krishnamoorthi continues:

"That decision has fundamentally undermined the trust required of the Postmaster General. The stakes could hardly be higher. The Postal Service is entrusted with delivering Americans' election mail fairly, reliably, and without partisan interference. Voters should never have to wonder whether the agency responsible for delivering their ballots is being used to advance a political agenda or whether its leadership will comply with the orders of the federal courts."

Krishnamoorthi has repeatedly warned against efforts to place USPS in a gatekeeping role over election mail and previously called for Steiner's removal over his efforts to implement President Trump's election mail executive order despite federal court rulings blocking key provisions.

The Trump Administration is now asking the Supreme Court to overturn the lower courts' rulings and clear the way for the policy before the November midterm elections.

Krishnamoorthi writes:

"A Postmaster General who tells Congress under oath that he will comply with federal court orders, and then completes the very rulemaking that a federal judge ordered him not to complete, has forfeited the confidence necessary to lead the United States Postal Service."

Krishnamoorthi reiterated his demand that Steiner resign and requested a response by August 31, 2026.

Congressman Krishnamoorthi's letter is available here.