The U.S. Postal Service returned to the headlines after the Supreme Court temporarily blocked President Trump’s new restrictions on mail voting. Seven justices upheld an injunction against the new ballot rule, although Brett Kavanaugh appeared willing to reconsider the issue after the midterms, and the rule remains on the books.

That dispute hangs over a deeper threat to the Postal Service. Trump renewed his call for privatization after returning to office, while a leaked Wells Fargo memo showed corporate investors remain interested in the agency’s valuable real estate and delivery network.

The Postal Service is also facing financial uncertainty as its ten year Delivering for America restructuring plan misses its targets. David Steiner, the former FedEx board member Trump selected to replace Louis DeJoy as postmaster general, is reportedly already considering his departure.

Millions of Americans depend on a functioning public postal network, including small businesses that need affordable shipping and seniors awaiting prescription medications. Surveys have consistently placed the Postal Service among the most popular government agencies across party lines.

If Democrats retake Congress after the midterms, postal oversight could become a vivid demonstration of how Trump’s leadership and austerity agenda affect ordinary Americans. Hearings could also reveal what running the post office like a private business has delivered in practice.

Affordability offers an obvious place to begin. Under the DeJoy and Steiner restructuring plan, a first class forever stamp has risen nearly 50% since 2020, while Priority Mail Flat Rate packages have experienced price increases of 70% to 80%.

Since April, the Postal Service has imposed an 8% surcharge in response to the fuel price spike caused by the Iran war. Another temporary increase for the holiday season took effect this month, adding more pressure for businesses and customers.

Small businesses and ecommerce sellers must absorb those increases or pass them to consumers. Democrats could invite sellers from eBay and Etsy to testify, while questioning the Postal Regulatory Commission, which has acknowledged that postage increases alone cannot resolve the agency’s financial troubles.

Aggressive cost cutting has also produced persistent mail delays across the country. The Government Accountability Office found that reduced mail collection hours and the shift from air transportation to ground transportation contributed to delays, especially in rural communities.

Postal advocate Steve Hutkins has also pointed to lower service standards and the prioritization of Amazon and UPS last mile deliveries. Closures of historic post offices in rural areas and small towns have further aggravated the problem.

The sick and elderly have suffered particular harm because they rely on timely delivery of prescriptions and Social Security payments. Democrats could bring residents from Wisconsin, Vermont, and Georgia before Congress, while also visiting communities to meet customers, postal workers, and business owners.

Formal oversight could focus on the Postal Board of Governors and Trump’s attempted takeover. Some board members resisted plans that included placing Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick over the agency, but retreated after the Supreme Court’s Trump v. Slaughter ruling gave the president complete power to remake formerly independent agencies.

Democrats could question the four current board members, all Biden nominees, about Trump’s private demands and the legal basis for the mail ballot rule. They could also press board chair Amber McReynolds, whose term expires at the end of the year, and hear from whistleblowers who alleged that postal leaders violated court orders.

Trump has nominated four Republicans, including three election deniers, to vacant board seats rather than presenting nominees in bipartisan pairs. Democrats could mobilize opposition to nominees who lack postal experience and resist turning the board into another rubber stamp for austerity or voter suppression.

Oversight should also present an affirmative alternative. The 2022 Postal Service Reform Act allows post offices to provide nonpostal government services, while a May 2026 inspector general report recommended a unified strategy involving DMV and IRS kiosks and rooftop leases for 5G and broadband infrastructure.

The 2021 People’s Postal Agenda proposed electric vehicle charging stations and partnerships with grocers and food banks for home delivery. Restoring postal banking could also serve Americans poorly served by Wall Street banks, although a limited four location pilot program in 2021 faded with little promotion.

The Postal Banking Act, written by Sens. Bernie Sanders and Kirsten Gillibrand, would permit checking and savings accounts, ATMs, mobile banking, and loans with low interest rates. The proposal could generate nearly $19 billion in annual Postal Service revenue.

Democrats can also challenge the demand that the Postal Service operate as a profit seeking enterprise instead of an essential public service. Pairing new revenue with restored cabinet department status and annual appropriations would offer a direct contrast with Trump’s push to place public assets on the corporate auction block.