Postmaster General of the United States.
Case
Trump’s administration says new USPS ballot-mail requirements will deter fraud. States, civil-rights groups and some justices dispute their authority and timing. The case asks whether mandatory enforcement should proceed for the November 2026 election.
Role at the time: Postmaster General of the United States
Statement summary
Postmaster General David Steiner said the Postal Service had acted within its legal authority in issuing the rule, while stating that USPS is not a political organisation and would comply with whatever the courts decided.
“We have at all times acted within our legal authority to issue a rule to achieve those policies, but ultimately the courts will decide that question, and we will follow the court’s determination. It is that simple.” … “We deliver the mail. Someone else makes the rules. … Once that fight is finished, we’ll do whatever the courts say we can do.”
EDITORIAL REVIEW SUGGESTED. Relative to implementing and enforcing the rule for the November 2026 election, Steiner combines two positions. He defends the lawfulness of issuing the rule, which supports the conduct under scrutiny. He also declines to press for its application, saying the courts will decide and USPS will comply. The case scope treats support for a later or different postal rule as a separate question, so his defence of the agency’s authority does not by itself amount to backing enforcement this cycle. A reviewer could instead read this as defends_or_excuses, on the basis that defending the rule’s legality is a defence of the conduct.
Statement dates: September 14, 2026
Statement dates: September 14, 2026
