USPS

Created byPostal Reorganization Act of 1970, P.L. 91-375 (converted the cabinet Post Office Department, est. 1792, into an independent establishment)

Head appointed39 U.S.C. § 202: nine Governors appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, for 7-year terms (max two terms; no more than five from one party); the Governors appoint the Postmaster General (§ 202(c)), and the Governors plus PMG appoint the Deputy PMG (board/commission appoints)

Removal standardGovernors 'may be removed only for cause' (39 U.S.C. § 202(a)(1)); the Postmaster General has no statutory protection — serves at the pleasure of, and may be removed by, the Governors (§ 202(c))

Funded underself-funded — Postal Service Fund, 39 U.S.C. § 2003 (postage and service revenues, permanently available without fiscal-year limit); only a small annual 'Payment to the Postal Service Fund' appropriation for revenue forgone on free/reduced-rate mail (39 U.S.C. § 2401)

Congressional oversightHouse Oversight and Government Reform · Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

Inspector generalown USPS OIG — since the Postal Service Reform Act of 2022 (P.L. 117-108), the IG is appointed jointly by the Governors and the members of the Postal Regulatory Commission (majority vote of each) for a 7-year term (39 U.S.C. § 202(e)); removable only for cause, upon written concurrence of at least 7 Governors and 3 PRC members

Judicial reviewLargely exempt from the APA (39 U.S.C. § 410(a)); sue-and-be-sued in its own name (39 U.S.C. § 401(1), § 409 district-court jurisdiction); rate and service disputes go to the Postal Regulatory Commission (39 U.S.C. § 3662) with review of PRC orders in the D.C. Circuit (39 U.S.C. § 3663)