SUBCHAPTER III-TEMPORARY RATES AND CLASSES 3641. Temporary changes in rates and classes. 3642. Special authority relating to reduced-rate categories of mail. 5003. Establishment of post roads. 5004. Discontinuance of service on post roads. (a) The United States Postal Service shall be operated as a (b) The Postal Service shall provide a maximum degree of ef- (c) As an employer, the Postal Service shall achieve and main- (d) Postal rates shall be established to apportion the costs of all postal operations to all users of the mail on a fair and equitable basis. (e) In determining all policies for postal services, the Postal Service shall give the highest consideration to the requirement for the most expeditious collection, transportation, and delivery of important letter mail. (f) In selecting modes of transportation, the Postal Service shall give highest consideration to the prompt and economical delivery of all mail and shall make a fair and equitable distribution of mail business to carriers providing similar modes of transportation services to the Postal Service. Modern methods of transporting mail by containerization and programs designed to achieve overnight transportation to the destination of important letter mail to all parts of the Nation shall be a primary goal of postal oper ations. (g) In planning and building new postal facilities, the Postal Service shall emphasize the need for facilities and equipment designed to create desirable working conditions for its officers and employees, a maximum degree of convenience for efficient postal services, proper access to existing and future air and surface transportation facilities, and control of costs to the Postal Service. § 102. Definitions As used in this title (1) "Postal Service" means the United States Postal Service established by section 201 of this title; (2) "Board of Governors", and "Board", unless the context otherwise requires, mean the Board of Governors established under section 202 of this title; (3) "Governors" means the 9 members of the Board of Governors appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, under section 202(a) of this title; and (4) "Inspector General" means the Inspector General appointed under section 202(e) of this title. CHAPTER 2-ORGANIZATION Sec. 201. United States Postal Service. 202. Board of Governors. 203. Postmaster General; Deputy Postmaster General. 204. General Counsel; Judicial Officer; Chief Postal Inspector. 205. Procedures of the Board of Governors. 206. Advisory Council. 207. Seal. 208. Reservation of powers. §201. United States Postal Service There is established, as an independent establishment of the executive branch of the Government of the United States, the United States Postal Service. § 202. Board of Governors (a) The exercise of the power of the Postal Service shall be directed by a Board of Governors composed of 11 members appointed in accordance with this section. Nine of the members, to be known as Governors, shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, not more than 5 of whom may be adherents of the same political party. The Governors shall elect a Chairman from among the members of the Board. The Governors shall be chosen to represent the public interest generally, and shall not be representatives of specific interests using the Postal Service, and may be removed only for cause. Each Governor shall receive a salary of $30,000 a year plus $300 a day for not more than 42 days of meetings each year and shall be reimbursed for travel and reasonable expenses incurred in attending meetings of the Board. Nothing in the preceding sentence shall be construed to limit the number of days of meetings each year to 42 days. (b) The terms of the 9 Governors shall be 9 years, except that the terms of the 9 Governors first taking office shall expire as designated by the President at the time of appointment, 1 at the end of 1 year, 1 at the end of 2 years, 1 at the end of 3 years, 1 at the end of 4 years, 1 at the end of 5 years, 1 at the end of 6 years, 1 at the end of 7 years, 1 at the end of 8 years, and 1 at the end of 9 years, following the appointment of the first of them. Any Governor appointed to fill a vacancy before the expiration of the term for which his predecessor was appointed shall serve for the remainder of such term. A Governor may continue to serve after the expiration of his term until his successor has qualified, but not to exceed one year. (c) The Governors shall appoint and shall have the power to remove the Postmaster General, who shall be a voting member of the Board. His pay and term of service shall be fixed by the Governors. (d) The Governors and the Postmaster General shall appoint and shall have the power to remove the Deputy Postmaster Gen eral, who shall be a voting member of the Board. His term of service shall be fixed by the Governors and the Postmaster General and his pay by the Governors. (e)(1) The Governors shall appoint and shall have the power to remove the Inspector General. (2) The Inspector General shall be appointed (A) for a term of 7 years; (B) without regard to political affiliation; and (C) solely on the basis of integrity and demonstrated ability in accounting, auditing, financial analysis, law, management analysis, public administration, or investigations. (3) The Inspector General may at any time be removed upon the written concurrence of at least 7 Governors, but only for cause. Nothing in this subsection shall be considered to exempt the Governors from the requirements of section 8G(e) of the Inspector General Act of 1978. § 203. Postmaster General; Deputy Postmaster General The chief executive officer of the Postal Service is the Postmaster General appointed under section 202(c) of this title. The alternate chief executive officer of the Postal Service is the Deputy Postmaster General appointed under section 202(d) of this title. § 204. General Counsel; Judicial Officer; Chief Postal Inspector There shall be within the Postal Service a General Counsel, such number of Assistant Postmasters General as the Board shall consider appropriate, a Judicial Officer, and a Chief Postal Inspector. The General Counsel, the Assistant Postmasters General, the Judicial Officer, and the Chief Postal Inspector shall be appointed by, and serve at the pleasure of, the Postmaster General. The Judicial Officer shall perform such quasi-judicial duties, not inconsistent with chapter 36 of this title, as the Postmaster General may designate. The Judicial Officer shall be the agency for the purposes of the requirements of chapter 5 of title 5, to the extent that functions are delegated to him by the Postmaster General. The Chief Postal Inspector shall report to, and be under the general supervision of, the Postmaster General. The Postmaster General shall promptly notify the Governors and both Houses of Congress in writing if he or she removes the Chief Postal Inspector or transfers the Chief Postal Inspector to another position or location within the Postal Service, and shall include in any such notification the reasons for the removal or transfer. § 205. Procedures of the Board of Governors (a) The Board shall direct and control the expenditures and review the practices and policies of the Postal Service, and perform other functions and duties prescribed by this title. (b) Vacancies in the Board, as long as there are sufficient members to form a quorum, shall not impair the powers of the Board under this title. (c) The Board shall act upon majority vote of those members who are present, and any 6 members present shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business by the Board, except |