NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF COLORED PEOPLE v. UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE et al

Filing 8

MOTION for Preliminary Injunction by NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF COLORED PEOPLE (Attachments: #1 Memorandum in Support, #2 Declaration Declaration of Carmen Watkins, #3 Declaration Declaration of Earl Graham, #4 Text of Proposed Order, #5 Certificate of Service)(Zieve, Allison)

Case 1:20-cv-02295-TSC Document 8-1 Filed 09/01/20 Page 1 of 43

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE
ADVANCEMENT OF COLORED
PEOPLE,
Plaintiff,
v.
UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE,
et al.,
Defendants.

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Civil Action No. 20-cv-2295 (TSC)

MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF
PLAINITFF’S MOTION FOR A PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION

Samuel Spital (D.D.C. Bar No. SS4839)
Allison M. Zieve (DC Bar No. 424786)
Rachel Kleinman (NY Bar No. 4417903)
Matthew A. Seligman (DC Bar No. 1018889)
Monique Lin-Luse (NY Bar No. 5671920)
PUBLIC CITIZEN LITIGATION GROUP
J. Zachery Morris (NY Bar No. 5392196)
1600 20th Street NW
John S. Cusick (NY Bar No. 5585245)
Washington, DC 20009
NAACP LEGAL DEFENSE &
[phone]
EDUCATIONAL FUND, INC.
40 Rector Street, 5th Floor
New York, NY 10006
[phone]
Counsel for Plaintiff NAACP

September 1, 2020

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF AUTHORITIES ........................................................................................................... i
INTRODUCTION ...........................................................................................................................1
STATEMENT OF FACTS ..............................................................................................................3
Statutory and Regulatory Background .............................................................................................3
Factual Background .........................................................................................................................5
The COVID-19 Pandemic....................................................................................................5
The Importance of Timely Mail Delivery During the Pandemic .........................................8
Defendants Implement a “Pivot” Affecting Postal Service Nationwide ...........................10
ARGUMENT .................................................................................................................................13
I. NAACP is likely to prevail on the merits. .................................................................................13
A. Defendants’ actions are subject to judicial review. .....................................................13
B. NAACP is likely to prevail on the merits of its claims. ...............................................15
1. Violation of 39 U.S.C. § 3661(b).......................................................................15
2. Action arbitrary, capricious, and contrary to 39 U.S.C. § 101(e) ......................24
II. Absent preliminary injunctive relief, Plaintiff is likely to suffer irreparable harm..................26
III. The balance of equities and the public interest support Plaintiff’s request for preliminary
relief. ........................................................................................................................................30
CONCLUSION ..............................................................................................................................31

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TABLE OF AUTHORITIES
Cases

Pages

Aid Ass’n for Lutherans v. United States Postal Service,
321 F.3d 1166 (D.C. Cir. 2003) ...............................................................................................14
American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign v. Perdue,
873 F.3d 914 (D.C. Cir. 2017) ...........................................................................................19, 25
American School of Magnetic Healing v. McAnnulty,
187 U.S. 94 (1902) ..................................................................................................................13
Aamer v. Obama,
742 F.3d 1023 (D.C. Cir. 2014) ...............................................................................................13
Armstrong v. Exceptional Child Center,
575 U.S. 320 (2015) .................................................................................................................13
Buchanan v. United States Postal Service,
375 F. Supp. 1014 (N.D. Ga. 1974),
aff’d in relevant part, 508 F.2d 259 (5th Cir. 1975) ..........................................................27, 28
Buchanan v. United States Postal Service,
508 F.2d 259 (5th Cir. 1975) ..........................................................................15, 16, 19, 21, 27
Central United Life, Inc. v. Burwell,
128 F. Supp. 3d 321, 330 (D.D.C. 2015) .................................................................................30
Chamber of Commerce v. Reich,
74 F.3d 1322 (D.C. Cir. 1996) ................................................................................................14
Chaplaincy of Full Gospel Churches v. England,
454 F.3d 290 (D.C. Cir. 2006) .................................................................................................26
Creosote Council v. Johnson,
555 F. Supp. 2d 36 (D.D.C. 2008) ..........................................................................................31
Dart v. United States,
848 F.2d 217 (D.C. Cir. 1988) .................................................................................................13
Doehla Greeting Cards, Inc. v Summerfield,
116 F. Supp. 68 (D.D.C. 1953) ................................................................................................14
Gelman v. Federal Election Commission,
631 F.2d 939 (D.C. Cir. 1980) .................................................................................................19

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Gresham v. Azar,
950 F.3d 93 (D.C. Cir. 2020) ...................................................................................................25
Gordon v. Holder,
721 F.3d 638 (D.C. Cir. 2013) .................................................................................................31
Gulf Coast Marine Supply, Inc. v. United States,
218 F. Supp. 3d 92, 101 (D.D.C. 2016) ...................................................................................31
Havens Realty Corp. v. Coleman,
455 U.S. 363 (1982) .................................................................................................................28
Jones v. Hurwitz,
324 F. Supp. 3d 97 (D.D.C. 2018) ...........................................................................................13
League of Women Voters of the United States v. Newby,
838 F.3d 1 (D.C. Cir. 2016) ...................................................................................13, 26, 30, 31
Leedom v. Kyne,
358 U.S. 184 (1958) ................................................................................................................15
Love v. Thomas,
858 F.2d 1347 (9th Cir. 1988) .................................................................................................25
Mittleman v. Postal Regulatory Commission,
757 F.3d 300 (D.C. Cir. 2014) .................................................................................................14
Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Ass’n v. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance. Co.,
463 U.S. 29 (1983) ...................................................................................................................25
NAACP v. United States Postal Service,
398 F. Supp. 562 (N.D. Ga. 1975) ...........................................................................................16
Northern Air Cargo v. United States Postal Service,
674 F.3d 852 (D.C. Cir. 2012) .................................................................................................14
Northern Mariana Islands v. United States,
686 F. Supp. 2d 7 (D.D.C. 2009) .............................................................................................27
Open Communities Alliance v. Carson,
286 F. Supp. 3d 148 (D.D.C. 2017) ...................................................................................28, 30
Patriot, Inc. v. Department of Housing and Urban Development,
963 F. Supp. 1 (D.D.C. 1997) ..................................................................................................31

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Pursuing America’s Greatness v. FEC,
831 F.3d 500 (D.D.C. 2016) ....................................................................................................31
R.I.L-R v. Johnson,
80 F. Supp. 3d 164 (D.D.C. 2015) ...........................................................................................31
Spann v. Colonial Village, Inc.,
899 F.2d 24 (D.C. Cir. 1990) ...................................................................................................28
Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative of Florida v. Veneman,
289 F.3d 89 (D.C. Cir. 2002) ...................................................................................................26
UAW-Labor Employment & Training Corp. v. Chao,
325 F.3d 360 (D.C. Cir. 2003) .................................................................................................14
United Farm Workers v Chao,
227 F. Supp. 2d 102 (D.D.C. 2002) .........................................................................................19
Winter v. National Resources Defense Council, Inc.,
555 U.S. 7 (2008) .....................................................................................................................30
Wisconsin Gas Co. v. FERC,
758 F.2d 669 (D.C. Cir. 1985) .................................................................................................26
Statutes and Regulations
Postal Reorganization Act,
Public Law 91-375, 84 Stat. 719 (1970) ....................................................................................3
Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006,
84 Stat. 759, Pub. L. 109-435 (2006).........................................................................................3
§ 601...........................................................................................................................................3
§ 601(a)(1) ............................................................................................................................3, 4
§ 604 ..........................................................................................................................................3
39 U.S.C. § 101(a) .....................................................................................................................3, 25
39 U.S.C. § 101(e) ...........................................................................................................2, 3, 24, 25
39 U.S.C. § 3661 ............................................................................................................................12
39 U.S.C. § 3661(a) ...................................................................................................................4, 16

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39 U.S.C. § 3661(b) .............................................................................................2, 4, 15, 16, 21, 24
39 U.S.C. § 3661(c) ...................................................................................................................4, 16
39 C.F.R. § 1.1 .................................................................................................................................3
39 C.F.R. § 3010.140 .......................................................................................................................5
39 C.F.R. § 3010.142(a)...................................................................................................................4
39 C.F.R. § 3020.112 .......................................................................................................................4
ARTICLES
Reed Ableson, U.S. Mail Delays Slow Delivery of Medicines, N.Y. Times (Aug. 20, 2020),
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/20/health/Covid-us-mail-prescription-drugs.html .............9
Rosalind Adams, et al., USPS Delays Are Causing People to Get their Prescriptions Late,
Buzzfeed News (Aug. 17, 2020), https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/rosalindadams/postoffice-delay-prescription-medicine ......................................................................................9, 23
Between Democratic and Republican conventions, Americans more likely to trust Biden on
COVID-19 than Trump, Ipsos (Aug. 25, 2020), https://www.ipsos.com/en-us/newspolls/axios-ipsos-coronavirus-index ..................................................................................21, 23
Jacob Bogage, Postal Service memos detail ‘difficult’ changes, including slower mailer delivery,
Wash Post (Aug. 14, 2020),
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/07/14/postal-service-trump-dejoy-delaymail/ .........................................................................................................................................11
Luke Broadwater, Crisis Ripples Across Nation as Election Looms, NY Times
(Aug. 18, 2020), https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/15/us/post-office-vote-by-mail.html ....21
Andrew Brown & Andrew Miller, Some SC businesses say they are experiencing delays because
of US Postal Service changes, The Post and Courier, (Aug. 14, 2020),
https://www.postandcourier.com/business/some-sc-businesses-say-they-are-experiencingdelays-because-of-us-postal-service-changes/article_e8716d38-dd6d-11ea-9c9ea79f1c82a446.html...................................................................................................................23
James Clark, How the battle over the US Postal Service is costing veterans dearly,
Task & Purpose (Aug. 18, 2020), https://taskandpurpose.com/news/postal-service-veteranmedication-delays ....................................................................................................................24
Zoe Cormier, How Covid-19 can damage the brain,
BBC (June 22, 2020), https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200622-the-long-term-effectsof-covid-19-infection .................................................................................................................7

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Gisela Crespo, US gets reality checks on Covid-19 vaccine, duration of symptoms,
CNN (July 24, 2020), https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/24/health/us-coronavirusfriday/index.html........................................................................................................................8
Kim Dacey, People who haven’t received mail in weeks line up at post office,
WBALTV (Aug. 6, 2020), https://www.wbaltv.com/article/baltimore-mail-delays-continueno-mail-in-weeks/33535355 ....................................................................................................22
Jessica Dean & Ellie Kaufman, US Postal Service faces challenges as new postmaster takes
over, CNN (June 15, 2020), https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/15/politics/postal-service-newdirector/index.html ...................................................................................................................10
Alison Durkee, Postmaster General Acknowledges ‘Unintended Consequences’ of USPS
Changes Causing Mail Delays, Forbes (Aug. 14, 2020),
https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2020/08/14/postmaster-general-louis-dejoyacknowledges-unintended-consequences-of-usps-postal-service-changes-mail-delays/
#764bfdf46052 .........................................................................................................................23
Christina Farr, Patients say post office slowdown is delaying delivery of life-saving
medications, CNBC (Aug. 19, 2020),
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/08/19/usps-slowdown-delays-delivery-of-life-saving-medspatients.html .....................................................................................................................8, 9, 23
Victoria Foster, 80% Of People Hospitalized With Coronavirus Still Had Symptoms
Two Months Later, Says New Study, Forbes (July 11, 2020),
https://www.forbes.com/sites/victoriaforster/2020/07/11/80-of-people-hospitalized-withcoronavirus-still-had-symptoms-two-months-later-says-new-study/#37aedd2b1e93 ...............6
Nathan W. Furukawa, et al., Evidence Supporting Transmission of Severe Acute
Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 While Presymptomatic or Asymptomatic,
26 CDC, Emerging Infectious Diseases (July 2020),
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/26/7/20-1595_article...........................................................6
Ben Hall, Postal trucks sometimes travel across country - with no mail - after USPS cuts,
News Channel 5 (Aug. 24, 2020), https://www.newschannel5.com/news/newschannel-5investigates/postal-trucks-sometimes-travel-across-country-with-no-mail-after-usps-cuts ....18
Kristen Holmes & Veronica Stracqualursi, In new letter, USPS chief acknowledges
‘unintended consequences’ of recent policy changes,
CNN (Aug. 14 2020), https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/14/politics/dejoy-usps-changes-2020election/index.html?utm_term=image&utm_source=twCNNp&utm_content=2020-0814T14%3A04%3A07&utm_medium=social ...........................................................................17
Jacqueline Howard, Covid-19’s impact on the heart: Two new studies suggest ‘the plot
thickening’, CNN (July 28, 2020),
https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/28/health/covid-heart-damage-two-studies/index.html ............6
Andree Hsu & Mary Louise Kelly, ‘Swing County, USA’ Prepares for Unprecedented
Influx of Ballots by Mail, NPR (July 21, 2020),
https://www.npr.org/2020/07/21/893115504/swing-county-u-s-a-prepares-for-unprecedentedinflux-of-ballots-by-mail..........................................................................................................10

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Andrew Joseph, Actual Covid-19 case count could be 6 to 24 times higher than official
estimates, CDC study shows, STAT (July 21, 2020),
https://www.statnews.com/2020/07/21/cdc-study-actual-covid-19-cases/ ................................6
Ed Kilgore, New Hampshire Says COVID-19 is a ‘Disability’ Justifying Voting by Mail,
New York Magazine (Apr. 10, 2020),
https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/04/in-nh-covid-ruled-a-disability-justifying-voting-bymail.html ....................................................................................................................................9
Beth LeBlanc, Michigan absentee ballot requests increase 1 million from 2016,
The Detroit News (July 2, 2020),
https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2020/07/02/michigan-absentee-ballotrequests-rise-1-million-ahead-august-primary/5365799002/ ..................................................10
Berkeley Lovelace, Jr., Dr. Anthony Fauci warns the coronavirus won’t ever be eradicated,
CNBC (July 22, 2020), https://www.cnbc.com/2020/07/22/dr-anthony-fauci-warns-thecoronavirus-wont-ever-be-totally-eradicated.html ....................................................................8
Apoorna Mandavilli, Coronavirus Infections Much Higher Than Reported Cases in Parts of the
U.S., Study Shows, NY Times (July 21, 2020),
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/21/health/coronavirus-infections-us.html..........................6
Lisa Lockerd Maragakis, Coronavirus, Social and Physical Distancing and Self-Quarantine,
Johns Hopkins Medicine (updated July 15, 2020),
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/coronavirus/coronavirussocial%20distancing-and-self-quarantine ..................................................................................8
Lauren Mascarenhas, et al., Birx says she wishes US lockdown had resembled the one in Italy,
CNN (Aug. 17, 2020),
https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/17/health/us-coronavirus-monday/index.html .........................5
Jim Morrill, Coronavirus gears spark ‘striking surge’ of mail-in ballot requests,
Charlotte Observer (July 13, 2020),
https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politics-government/article244187737.html .........10
Richard A. Oppel, Jr., et al., The Fullest Look Yet at the Racial Inequity of Coronavirus,
NY Times (July 5, 2020), https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/07/05/us/coronaviruslatinos-african-americans-cdc-data.html....................................................................................7
Steve Patrick, Amid pandemic, record number of Florida voters use mail-in ballots,
News 4 Jax (Aug. 17, 2020), https://www.news4jax.com/election-2020/2020/08/11/amidpandemic-mail-in-ballots-smash-primary-records/..................................................................10
Ginna Roe, Utah diabetic waiting for more than a week for supplies by mail,
KUTV, (Aug. 17, 2020), https://kutv.com/news/local/utah-diabetic-waiting-more-than-aweek-for-supplies-by-mail .......................................................................................................23
Orion Rummler, USPS priority mail delays got worse in early August, internal brief for
postmaster general shows, Axios (Aug. 22, 2020),
https://www.axios.com/usps-mail-delays-postmaster-general-9a5d4076-c87a-4468-9fa52c7f3e17fbd6.html ...................................................................................................................18

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Ellie Rushing, Mail delays are frustrating Philly residents, and a short-staffed Postal
Service is struggling to keep up, Philadelphia Inquirer (Aug. 2, 2020),
https://www.inquirer.com/news/philadelphia/usps-tracking-in-transit-late-mail-deliveryphiladelphia-packages-postal-service-20200802.html.............................................................22
Michael Sainato, Postmaster general’s changes causing mail delays, USPS workers say, The
Guardian (Aug. 16, 2020), https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/aug/16/usps-maildelays-postmaster-general-changes-workers ...........................................................................25
Kolbie Satterfield, Southwest DC residents go weeks without mail being delivered,
WUSA9 (Aug. 13, 2020), https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/dc/two-weeks-no-mailin-southeast-dc-neighborhood/65-31535798-3c83-45f8-b0e4-775ce6d6e8f8 ........................22
David Smith, US surpasses China for highest number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in the world,
The Guardian (Mar. 27, 2020),
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/26/coronavirus-outbreak-us-latest-trump .......5
Roger Sollenberger, Internal USPS memo appears to contradict postmaster general's testimony,
Salon (Aug. 21, 2020), https://www.salon.com/2020/08/21/internal-usps-memo-appears-tocontradict-postmaster-generals-testimony/ ..............................................................................18
Ron Trevino, USPS delivery delays leave 82-year-old Texas man without heart medication
for a week, WBNS (Aug. 17, 2020), https://www.10tv.com/article/news/nation-world/uspsdelays-leave-humble-man-without-heart-medication/285-49815193-bf3d-4b45-a1a5b0afe16236f7 ...........................................................................................................................23
Don Walton, Ricketts encourages vote by mail, eyes gradual easing of COVID-19 restrictions
possibly in May, Lincoln Journal Star (May 14, 2020),
https://journalstar.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/ricketts-encourages-voteby-mail-eyes-gradual-easing-of-covid-19-restrictions-possibly-in-may/article_2770d931fa51-591f-b04b-d5e516a72888.html .........................................................................................9
Lauren Walsh, Central Alabama experiences some mail, package delays as USPS, UPS feel
COVID-19 impact, ABC33/40 News (Aug. 12, 2020),
https://abc3340.com/news/local/central-alabama-experiences-some-mail-package-delays-asusps-ups-feel-covid-19-impact ................................................................................................22
Alan Yuhas, How Mail-in Voting Works,
NY Times (Aug. 18, 2020), https://www.nytimes.com/article/Vote-by-mail.html .............9, 10
Jerry Zremski, Mail delays, days with no delivery prompt rising concern in WNY,
Buffalo Times (Aug. 13, 2020), https://buffalonews.com/news/national/govt-andpolitics/mail-delays-days-with-no-delivery-prompt-rising-concern-in-wny/article_d9944036dd92-11ea-8f15-778f24015679.html .......................................................................................22
Miscellaneous
Dr. Tedros Adhanom, WHO Director-General’s Opening Remarks at the Media Briefing on
COVID-19 (Mar. 11, 2020),
https://www.who.int/dg/speeches/detail/who-director-general-s-opening-remarks-at-themedia-briefing-on-covid-19---11-march-2020 ..........................................................................5
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CDC, Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): Cases in the U.S.,
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-updates/cases-in-us.html..........................5
CDC, Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): Interim Clinical Guidance for Management of
Patients with Confirmed Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19),
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/clinical-guidance-management-patients.
html ........................................................................................................................................6, 7
CDC, Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): Groups at Higher Risk of Severe Illness,
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/groups-at-higherrisk.html (last updated Aug. 14, 2020). .....................................................................................7
CDC, COVID-19 Guidance for Older Adults,
https://www.cdc.gov/aging/covid19-guidance.html ..................................................................7
CDC, Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): How to Protect Yourself and Others,
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html ............6, 8
CDC, Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): Recommendations for Election Polling Locations, https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/election-polling-locations.
html ............................................................................................................................................9
CDC, Hospitalization Rates and Characteristics of Children Aged <18 Years Hospitalized with
Laboratory-Confirmed COVID-19 (Aug. 14, 2020),
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6932e3.htm ..................................................7
The COVID Tracking Project, The COVID Racial Data Tracker,
https://covidtracking.com/race. ..................................................................................................7
DeJoy, Testimony before House Oversight Committee,
Aug. 24, 2020, available at https://www.c-span.org/video/?474917-1/postmaster-generallouis-dejoy-testifies-postal-service-operations-mail-voting ........................................17, 24, 26
DeJoy, Testimony before Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee,
Aug. 21, 2020, available at https://www.c-span.org/video/?474940-1/senate-hearing-uspostal-service. ....................................................................................................................17, 21
HHS, Fact Sheet Explaining Operation Warp Speed, (June 16, 2020),
https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2020/06/16/fact-sheet-explaining-operation-warpspeed.html. .................................................................................................................................8
Letter from National Ass’n of Secretaries of State to Louis DeJoy,
available at https://www.npr.org/2020/08/14/902545891/amid-fears-about-mail-in-ballotselection-officials-havent-met-with-new-postmast. .................................................................10
Letter from 31 Senators to Louis DeJoy (Aug. 13, 2020),
https://bit.ly/345AaDj; ............................................................................................................24
Letter from Senator Gary Peters to Hal. J. Roesch II (Aug. 13, 2020),
https://bit.ly/311tQe5. ..............................................................................................................24
Mayo Clinic, Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), Symptoms and Causes
(updated August 7, 2020), https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/
coronavirus/symptoms-causes/syc-20479963............................................................................6

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Nat’l Alliance of Nonprofit Mailers, Leaked USPS PowerPoint indicates PMG DeJoy
focus on getting operating costs under control (July 14, 2020),
https://www.nonprofitmailers.org/leaked-usps-powerpoint-indicates-pmg-dejoy-focus-ongetting-operating-costs-under-control/ ....................................................................................19
National Conference of State Legislatures, COVID-19 and Elections,
https://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/state-action-on-covid-19-andelections.aspx .............................................................................................................................9
Postal Service, Mandatory Stand-Up Talk: All Employees: Pivoting for Our Future
(July 10, 2020), https://federalnewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/071020-standup-talk.pdf. ...................................................................................................................11, 12, 17
Proclamation No. 9994, 85 Fed. Reg. 15,337 (Mar. 18, 2020),
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/03/18/2020-05794/declaring-a-nationalemergency-concerning-the-novel-coronavirus-disease-covid-19-outbreak...............................5
PRC, Advisory Op. on Post Office Structure, N2012-2,
Aug. 23, 2012, https://www.prc.gov/docs/85/85013/n2012-2_adv_op_082312.pdf...............20
PRC, Advisory Op. on Service Changes Associated with Standard Mail Load Levels,
N2014-1, Mar. 26, 2014, https://www.prc.gov/docs/89/89493/docket%20no.%20n20141_advisory%20opinion.pdf ................................................................................................19, 20
USPS, Service Performance Measurement, Aug. 12, 2020,
https://oversight.house.gov/sites/democrats.oversight.house.gov/files/PMG%20Briefing%20%20Service%20Performance%20Management%2008-12-20%20%282%29.pdf. ...........17, 21
WHO, Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Advice for the Public: Mythbusters,
https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public/mythbusters ........................................................................................................................................7
WHO, WHO Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Dashboard,
https://covid19.who.int/ .............................................................................................................6
WHO, Q&A on Coronaviruses (COVID-19),
https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/q-a-coronaviruses .................................................7

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INTRODUCTION
Since the earliest days of the Republic, prompt and reliable mail delivery has been
essential to our constitutional democracy. Today, it is more important than ever. Over threequarters of Americans are potentially eligible to vote by mail in November 2020, and election
officials are preparing for a surge in mail-in voting due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That
pandemic has already cost over 175,000 Americans their lives, with death rates particularly high
for Black people, due to disparities in access to health care and structural discrimination. In
addition to voting, Americans depend—particularly now, during the ongoing pandemic—on the
postal service to receive medicines, checks, legal notices, and other important communications.
At the same time, when prompt mail delivery matters more than ever, the Postal Service
has made significant changes that have resulted in unreliable service and widespread delays.
Specifically, on July 10, 2020, just weeks after assuming office as Postmaster General, Louis
DeJoy announced a new plan and major operational “Pivot,” imposing significant new
restrictions on the timing and nature of letter carrier routes. In so doing, he acknowledged that
employees would “see mail left behind or on the workroom floor or docks” as a result. In the
month since, there have been substantial delays in mail service across the nation, with entire
towns in rural areas not receiving their mail on certain days and people in some cities going days
or weeks without receiving any mail at all.
Plaintiff National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the
nation’s largest and oldest civil rights grassroots organization, seeks a preliminary injunction
requiring the Postal Service to rescind these changes and to restore prompt and reliable mail
delivery. This Court should grant the NAACP’s motion because all four factors governing
preliminary injunctions are satisfied.

1

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First, NAACP has a substantial likelihood of success on the merits. Congress has
mandated that, before implementing changes that have a nationwide impact on mail delivery, the
Postal Service must provide an opportunity for public comment and seek an opinion from the
Postal Regulatory Commission. See 39 U.S.C. § 3661(b). The Postal Service failed to do so
before implementing the changes it adopted as part of the Pivot. Its changes are therefore
unlawful. Moreover, the Pivot is a classic example of decisonmaking that is arbitrary, capricious,
and contrary to statutory mandate. In a rush to adopt the Pivot, notwithstanding the pandemic,
Defendants failed to consider key statutory objectives about reliable mail service and the need to
give the highest consideration to delivery important letter mail, including ballots and checks, see
id. § 101, and failed to consider the adverse impact on timely delivery of medications.
Second, NAACP and its members are likely to experience irreparable harm absent
preliminary injunctive relief. The NAACP’s members rely on the mail, including for delivery of
medications and ballots, yet have experienced delays since the Pivot was implemented. As for
the NAACP itself, the Pivot has frustrated the organization’s mission of promoting civic
engagement and political participation among Black voters and caused it to divert resources from
its ordinary activities so that it can disseminate information and organize transportation for
voters to drop off absentee ballots at elections officials’ offices or drop boxes. Absent mail
delays, the NAACP would expend these resources on other aspects of its civic engagement
program, such as registering voters, contacting registered voters to ensure they have accurate
voting information and encouraging them to vote, organizing events to get out the vote, and
conducting voter protection activities during early voting. NAACP has also been deprived of the
opportunity to which is was entitled by law, 39 U.S.C. § 3661(b), to comment on significant
postal service changes before they are instituted.

2

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Finally, the balance of equities and the public interest support Plaintiff’s request for
preliminary relief. The Postal Service would not be harmed by an order requiring it to follow the
law, and the public interest would be served by enjoining changes that are negatively impacting
the timely delivery of ballots, medicines, checks, and other important mail.
STATEMENT OF FACTS
Statutory and Regulatory Background
In 1970, Congress enacted the Postal Reorganization Act, Public Law 91-375, 84 Stat.
719, which replaced the Post Office Department with the United States Postal Service, “an
independent establishment of the executive branch of the Government of the United States, under
the direction of a Board of Governors, with the Postmaster General as its chief executive
officer.” 39 C.F.R. § 1.1. The Postal Service is required to “operate[] as a basic and fundamental
service provided to the people by the Government of the United States, authorized by the
Constitution, created by Act of Congress, and supported by the people.” 39 U.S.C. § 101(a). It
has “as its basic function the obligation to provide postal services to bind the Nation together
through the personal, educational, literary, and business correspondence of the people. It shall
provide prompt, reliable, and efficient services to patrons in all areas and shall render postal
services to all communities.” Id. Congress has directed that, “[i]n 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.” Id. § 101(e).
The Postal Reorganization Act also established the Postal Rate Commission, later
renamed the Postal Regulatory Commission. See Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of
2006, 84 Stat. at 759; Pub. L. 109-435 §§ 601, 604. The Commission is “an independent
establishment of the executive branch,” id. § 601(a)(1), and “is composed of 5 Commissioners,

3

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appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. The Commissioners shall be chosen solely on the basis of their technical qualifications, professional standing,
and demonstrated expertise in economics, accounting, law, or public administration, and may be
removed by the President only for cause.” Id. “Each individual appointed to the Commission
shall have the qualifications and expertise necessary to carry out the enhanced responsibilities
accorded Commissioners under the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act.” Id.
The Postal Service is tasked with “develop[ing] and promot[ing] adequate and efficient
postal services.” Id. § 3661(a). “When the Postal Service determines that there should be a
change in the nature of postal services [that] will generally affect service on a nationwide or
substantially nationwide basis,” it must “submit a proposal, within a reasonable time prior to the
effective date of such proposal, to the Postal Regulatory Commission requesting an advisory
opinion on the change.” Id. § 3661(b).
Before issuing its opinion, the Commission must provide “an opportunity for hearing on
the record under sections 556 and 557 of [the Administrative Procedure Act (APA)] … to the
Postal Service, users of the mail, and an officer of the Commission who shall be required to
represent the interests of the general public.” Id. § 3661(c). The Commission’s Rules of Practice
and Procedure require the Postal Service to file its request “not less than 90 days before the
proposed effective date of the change in the nature of postal services involved.” 39 C.F.R.
§ 3020.112.
The Commission’s rules permit two forms of voluntary participation in Commission
proceedings: (1) A person may file a notice of intervention pursuant to 39 C.F.R. § 3010.142(a)
and, as a party, participate in discovery and motions practice, file testimony, and submit briefs,
among other rights and responsibilities. (2) A person may participate by submitting comments in

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proceedings before the Commission except those involving an appeal of a Postal Service
determination to close or consolidate a post office, pursuant to 39 C.F.R. § 3010.140.
Factual Background
The COVID-19 Pandemic
On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared a global pandemic resulting
from the spread of COVID-19.1 Two days later, President Trump announced that the outbreak of
COVID-19 in the United States constituted a national emergency.2
By April 2020, the United States became the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic with
the highest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the world.3 As of August 2020, there have
been over 5,740,000 COVID-19 cases reported in the United States, including more than
175,000 deaths.4 According to the CDC, as of August 2020, COVID-19 is the third leading cause
of death in the United States.5 Given a combination of shortages in testing, false negatives, and
asymptomatic carriers, the actual number of cases and deaths is likely higher than officially

1

Dr. Tedros Adhanom, WHO Director-General’s Opening Remarks at the Media Briefing on
COVID-19 (Mar. 11, 2020), https://www.who.int/dg/speeches/detail/who-director-general-sopening-remarks-at-the-media-briefing-on-covid-19---11-march-2020.
2

Proclamation No. 9994, 85 Fed. Reg. 15,337 (Mar. 18, 2020), https://www.federalregister.gov/
documents/2020/03/18/2020-05794/declaring-a-national-emergency-concerning-the-novelcoronavirus-disease-covid-19-outbreak.
3

David Smith, US surpasses China for highest number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in the
world, The Guardian (Mar. 27, 2020), https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/26/
coronavirus-outbreak-us-latest-trump.
4

CDC, Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): Cases in the U.S., https://www.cdc.gov/
coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-updates/cases-in-us.html (last visited Aug. 26, 2020).
5

Lauren Mascarenhas, et al., Birx says she wishes US lockdown had resembled the one in Italy,
CNN (Aug. 17, 2020), https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/17/health/us-coronavirus-monday/index.
html.
5

Case 1:20-cv-02295-TSC Document 8-1 Filed 09/01/20 Page 17 of 43

reported.6 Globally, there have been over 21,700,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with over
770,000 deaths.7
COVID-19 is a respiratory infection caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. It
spreads via respiratory droplets, particularly through close in-person contacts.8 The virus can be
spread by asymptomatic, pre-symptomatic, and symptomatic individuals.9 Symptoms may be
severe, including fever, difficulty breathing, and loss of taste or smell.10 Individuals hospitalized
with COVID-19 may continue to experience persistent symptoms for months.11 Lethal at its
worst, COVID-19 infection can also lead to long-term damage to the lungs, heart, brain, kidneys,
or liver.12

6

Apoorna Mandavilli, Coronavirus Infections Much Higher Than Reported Cases in Parts of the
U.S., Study Shows, NY Times (July 21, 2020), https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/21/health/
coronavirus-infections-us.html; Andrew Joseph, Actual Covid-19 case count could be 6 to 24
times higher than official estimates, CDC study shows, STAT (July 21, 2020),
https://www.statnews.com/2020/07/21/cdc-study-actual-covid-19-cases/.
7

WHO, WHO Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Dashboard, https://covid19.who.int/ (last
visited Aug. 26, 2020).
8

CDC, Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): How to Protect Yourself and Others (last
updated July 31, 2020), https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-gettingsick/prevention.html.
9

Nathan W. Furukawa, et al., Evidence Supporting Transmission of Severe Acute Respiratory
Syndrome Coronavirus 2 While Presymptomatic or Asymptomatic, 26 CDC Emerging Infectious
Diseases (July 2020), https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/26/7/20-1595_article.
10

Mayo Clinic, Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), Symptoms and Causes (updated August
7, 2020), https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/symptoms-causes/syc20479963.
11

Victoria Foster, 80% Of People Hospitalized With Coronavirus Still Had Symptoms Two
Months Later, Says New Study, Forbes (July 11, 2020), https://www.forbes.com/sites/
victoriaforster/2020/07/11/80-of-people-hospitalized-with-coronavirus-still-had-symptoms-twomonths-later-says-new-study/#37aedd2b1e93.
12

Jacqueline Howard, Covid-19’s impact on the heart: Two new studies suggest ‘the plot
thickening’, CNN (July 28, 2020), https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/28/health/covid-heart-damagetwo-studies/index.html; CDC, Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): Interim Clinical
Guidance for Management of Patients with Confirmed Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) (last
updated June 30, 2020), https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/clinical-guidance6

Case 1:20-cv-02295-TSC Document 8-1 Filed 09/01/20 Page 18 of 43

The CDC and the World Health Organization have estimated that approximately one out
of five people infected with COVID-19 will require hospitalization.13 People of all ages have
contracted and died from COVID-19.14 Preexisting medical conditions such as kidney disease,
heart disease, asthma, hypertension, and diabetes can increase the risk of serious complications
from COVID-19, regardless of age.15 The pandemic has had a particularly devastating impact on
Black people in the United States. As a result of disparities in access to health care and structural
discrimination that leads to higher rates of co-morbidities, Black people comprise a
disproportionate number of both cases of infection and deaths caused by the virus.16
There is no approved medication to cure COVID-19,17 and there is currently no vaccine
to prevent it.18 There is consensus among medical experts and government agencies that a

management-patients.html; Zoe Cormier, How Covid-19 can damage the brain, BBC (June 22,
2020),
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200622-the-long-term-effects-of-covid-19-infec
tion.
13

WHO, Q&A on Coronaviruses (COVID-19), https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/q-acoronaviruses (last visited Aug. 26, 2020); CDC, Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19):
Interim Clinical Guidance for Management of Patients with Confirmed Coronavirus Disease
(COVID-19), supra note 12.
14

CDC, COVID-19 Guidance for Older Adults (last updated Aug. 17, 2020),
https://www.cdc.gov/aging/covid19-guidance.html; see also CDC, Hospitalization Rates and
Characteristics of Children Aged <18 Years Hospitalized with Laboratory-Confirmed COVID19 (Aug. 14, 2020), https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6932e3.htm (“Children are
at risk for severe COVID-19. Public health authorities and clinicians should continue to track
pediatric SARS-CoV-2 infections.”).
15

CDC, Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): Groups at Higher Risk of Severe Illness (last
updated Aug. 14, 2020), https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/
groups-at-higher-risk.html.
16

See Richard A. Oppel, Jr., et al., The Fullest Look Yet at the Racial Inequity of Coronavirus,
NY Times (July 5, 2020), https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/07/05/us/coronaviruslatinos-african-americans-cdc-data.html; see also The COVID Tracking Project, The COVID
Racial Data Tracker, https://covidtracking.com/race (last visited Aug. 26, 2020).
17

WHO, Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19), Advice for the Public: Mythbusters,
https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public/mythbusters (last visited Aug. 26, 2020).
7

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COVID-19 vaccine will not be available to the public in 2020.19 Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of
the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and White House coronavirus advisor,
has stated that U.S. health officials cannot see “an end in sight” to the pandemic.20
In the interim, experts have identified techniques that are effective in decreasing
transmission of COVID-19, including practicing social distancing by avoiding close in-person
contacts, avoiding large gatherings, wearing masks in public, and practicing frequent and
thorough handwashing.21
The Importance of Timely Mail Delivery During the Pandemic
The Postal Service’s statutory obligation to provide “prompt, reliable, and efficient
services to patrons in all areas,” 39 U.S.C. § 101(a), has taken on even greater significance as a
result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Consistent with social distancing guidance, more people have
opted to obtain their prescription medications through the mail.22 Medicines delivered by mail

18

CDC, Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), How to Protect Yourself and Others, supra
note 8.
19

HHS, Fact Sheet Explaining Operation Warp Speed, (June 16, 2020), https://www.hhs.gov/
about/news/2020/06/16/fact-sheet-explaining-operation-warp-speed.html; Gisela Crespo, US gets
reality checks on Covid-19 vaccine, duration of symptoms, CNN (July 24, 2020),
https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/24/health/us-coronavirus-friday/index.html.
20

Berkeley Lovelace, Jr., Dr. Anthony Fauci warns the coronavirus won’t ever be eradicated,
CNBC (July 22, 2020), https://www.cnbc.com/2020/07/22/dr-anthony-fauci-warns-thecoronavirus-wont-ever-be-totally-eradicated.html.
21

Lisa Lockerd Maragakis, Coronavirus, Social and Physical Distancing and Self-Quarantine,
Johns Hopkins Medicine (updated July 15, 2020), https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/
health/conditions-and-diseases/coronavirus/coronavirus-social%20distancing-and-selfquarantine.
22

See Christina Farr, Patients say post office slowdown is delaying delivery of life-saving
medications, CNBC (Aug. 19, 2020), https://www.cnbc.com/2020/08/19/usps-slowdown-delaysdelivery-of-life-saving-meds-patients.html.
8

Case 1:20-cv-02295-TSC Document 8-1 Filed 09/01/20 Page 20 of 43

include critical and life-saving drugs, including for the treatment of chronic infections, and
chronic conditions like diabetes, heart disease, asthma, and high blood pressure.23
In addition, because of the pandemic, many states expect a record-breaking volume of
mail-in voting for the November 2020 election. The CDC has provided guidance regarding safe
voting practices during the COVID-19 pandemic, warning of the risk person-to-person COVID19 transmission at polling sites and urging the use of “voting methods that minimize direct
contact and reduce crowd size at polling locations,” such as mail-in voting.24 Consistent with the
CDC’s guidance, states have expanded mail-in voting access to ensure that eligible voters can
vote both safely and securely during the 2020 primary and general election cycle.25 State and
local elected officials have likewise encouraged people to rely on mail-in voting for primary and
general elections to vote safely and reduce the spread of the COVID-19 virus.26

23

See id.; Reed Ableson, U.S. Mail Delays Slow Delivery of Medicines, N.Y. Times (Aug. 20,
2020); https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/20/health/Covid-us-mail-prescription-drugs.html; see
also Rosalind Adams, et al., USPS Delays Are Causing People to Get their Prescriptions Late,
Buzzfeed News (Aug. 17, 2020) https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/rosalindadams/postoffice-delay-prescription-medicine.
24

See CDC, Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): Considerations for Election Polling
Locations and Voters (last updated June 22, 2020), https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019ncov/community/election-polling-locations.html.
25

National Conference of State Legislatures, COVID-19 and Elections, (last updated July 2,
2020),
https://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/state-action-on-covid-19-andelections.aspx (cataloguing legislative actions—enacted and pending—and executive actions
taken by states to expand voting options for eligible voters in response to COVID-19).
26

See, e.g., Alan Yuhas, How Mail-in Voting Works, NY Times (Aug. 18, 2020),
https://www.nytimes.com/article/Vote-by-mail.html; Don Walton, Ricketts encourages vote by
mail, eyes gradual easing of COVID-19 restrictions possibly in May, Lincoln Journal Star (May
14, 2020), https://journalstar.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/ricketts-encouragesvote-by-mail-eyes-gradual-easing-of-covid-19-restrictions-possibly-in-may/article_2770d931-fa
51-591f-b04b-d5e516a72888.html; Ed Kilgore, New Hampshire Says COVID-19 is a ‘Disability’
Justifying Voting by Mail, New York Magazine (Apr. 10, 2020), https://nymag.com/
intelligencer/2020/04/in-nh-covid-ruled-a-disability-justifying-voting-by-mail.html.
9

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As a result of states’ expansion of mail-in voting, a record 76 percent of American voters
will be eligible to receive a ballot in the mail for the November 2020 election.27 States have
already experienced surges in vote-by-mail ballot requests attributable to the pandemic,28 and
historical levels of mail-in voting during recent primaries. For example, Pennsylvania saw an 18fold increase in mail-in voting for the June 2020 primary compared to the June 2016 primary.29
Likewise, Florida saw a record number of mail-in votes, with 2.1 million mail-in ballots cast (as
of August 16) for the August 18, 2020 primary as compared to 1.35 million for the August 2016
primary.30
Defendants Implement a “Pivot” Affecting Postal Service Nationwide
On June 15, 2020, Louis DeJoy assumed office as Postmaster General of the United
States.31 Mr. DeJoy had no prior experience working at the Postal Service. Within weeks,
Postmaster DeJoy directed the Postal Service to implement significant operational changes on a
nationwide basis. Internal Postal Service documents acknowledged that those changes would
27

Alan Yuhas, How Mail-in Voting Works, supra note 26.

28

See, e.g., Jim Morrill, Coronavirus gears spark ‘striking surge’ of mail-in ballot requests,
Charlotte Observer) (July 13, 2020), https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politicsgovernment/article244187737.html; Beth LeBlanc, Michigan absentee ballot requests increase 1
million from 2016, The Detroit News (July 2, 2020) https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/
politics/2020/07/02/michigan-absentee-ballot-requests-rise-1-million-ahead-august-primary/536
5799002/; Letter from Nat’l Ass’n of Secretaries of State to Louis DeJoy (Aug. 7, 2020),
available
at
https://www.npr.org/2020/08/14/902545891/amid-fears-about-mail-in-ballotselection-officials-havent-met-with-new-postmast.
29

Andree Hsu & Mary Louise Kelly, ‘Swing County, USA’ Prepares for Unprecedented Influx of
Ballots by Mail, NPR (July 21, 2020), https://www.npr.org/2020/07/21/893115504/swingcounty-u-s-a-prepares-for-unprecedented-influx-of-ballots-by-mail.
30

Steve Patrick, Amid pandemic, record number of Florida voters use mail-in ballots, News 4
Jax (Aug. 17, 2020), https://www.news4jax.com/election-2020/2020/08/11/amid-pandemic-mailin-ballots-smash-primary-records/.
31

See Jessica Dean & Ellie Kaufman, US Postal Service faces challenges as new postmaster
takes over, CNN (June 15, 2020), https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/15/politics/postal-service-newdirector/index.html.
10

Case 1:20-cv-02295-TSC Document 8-1 Filed 09/01/20 Page 22 of 43

impact the Postal Service’s provision of postal services to the public, including by resulting in
delays in mail delivery.
Specifically, on or about July 10, 2020, the Postal Service circulated to employees a
document entitled “New PMG’s expectations and plan” (PMG Plan), which outlined the
significant nationwide changes Postmaster DeJoy was implementing. In that document,
Postmaster DeJoy announced that overtime would be eliminated, that letter carriers would have
to make changes limiting the timeframe and affecting the scope of their delivery routes, and that
certain customer service windows would be closed during lunchtime.32 Postmaster DeJoy
directed employees to leave mail behind at distribution centers if it delayed letter carriers from
their routes. These represented significant departures from prior practices, as postal workers had
been trained not to leave letters behind and to make multiple trips to ensure timely distribution of
letters and parcels.
The Postal Service also circulated a document on July 10, 2020, entitled “Mandatory
Stand-Up Talk: All Employees,” with a subtitle “Pivoting For Our Future” (Pivot Instructions).33
The Pivot Instructions describe significant changes being immediately implementing on a
nationwide basis and acknowledge that these changes will impact the delivery of mail. The
document states that the Postal Service “must make immediate, lasting, and impactful changes in
our operations and in our culture,” and stress that “[e]very single employee will receive this
information” because every employee was “integral” to the success of those changes.34 It

32

See, e.g., Jacob Bogage, Postal Service memos detail ‘difficult’ changes, including slower
mailer delivery, Wash Post (Aug. 14, 2020), https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/
07/14/postal-service-trump-dejoy-delay-mail/.
33

Available at https://federalnewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/071020-stand-uptalk.pdf.
34

Id.
11

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explains that the “initial step in our pivot is targeted on transportation” and will involve
“challenging” changes “as we seek to change our culture and move away from past practices
previously used.”35 The Pivot Instructions then provide numerous specific examples of
“transportation changes being implemented immediately (today),” including limiting the
timeframe when employees are permitted to make mail delivery trips.36 And it acknowledges
that, as a result of these changes, employees “may see mail left behind or on the workroom floor
or docks,” which is “not typical” and “may be difficult for employees.”37
The Pivot Instructions appear to contemplate that “delayed mail volumes” would result
from the first phase of this Pivot; the Instructions state that the transportation pivot is part of an
“ongoing pivot” that would include additional phases, and that “operations will begin to run
more efficiently and that delayed mail volumes will soon shrink significantly.”38 The Pivot
Instructions do not, however, explain what those additional phases will be, when they will be
implemented, or how they will reduce the anticipated delays.
Despite the significant changes in the postal service operations and their predictable
impact on the public, the Postal Service did not follow the procedures set forth in 39 U.S.C.
§ 3661 before implementing them. Specifically, the Postal Service did not submit a proposal to
the Postal Regulatory Commission requesting an advisory opinion on those changes prior to
implementing them. As explained below, these changes have led to widespread, nationwide
delays in mail service.

35

Id.

36

Id.

37

Id.

38

Id.
12

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ARGUMENT
To secure a preliminary injunction, plaintiff must show “that four factors, taken together,
warrant relief: likely success on the merits, likely irreparable harm in the absence of preliminary
relief, a balance of equities in [their] favor, and accord with the public interest.” League of
Women Voters of the U.S. v. Newby, 838 F.3d 1, 6 (D.C. Cir. 2016). Likelihood of success on the
merits is the “‘most important’ of these four factors.” Jones v. Hurwitz, 324 F. Supp. 3d 97
(D.D.C. 2018) (quoting Aamer v. Obama, 742 F.3d 1023, 1038 (D.C. Cir. 2014)). Here, each of
those factors weighs strongly in favor of issuing the requested preliminary injunction.
I. NAACP is likely to prevail on the merits.
A. Defendants’ actions are subject to judicial review.
This action primarily seeks non-statutory review of ultra vires official action as described
in the Supreme Court’s decision in American School of Magnetic Healing v. McAnnulty, 187
U.S. 94 (1902), and its progeny. As those cases recognize, “[w]hen an executive acts ultra vires,
courts are normally available to reestablish the limits on his authority.” Dart v. United States,
848 F.2d 217, 224 (D.C. Cir. 1988). “Nothing in the subsequent enactment of the APA altered
the McAnnulty doctrine of review.” Id. As the Supreme Court has more recently explained,
adjudicating claims for non-statutory review “federal courts may in some circumstances grant
injunctive relief against … violations of federal law by federal officials.” Armstrong v.
Exceptional Child Ctr., 525 U.S. 30, 327 (2015) (citing McAnnulty). The availability of nonstatutory review of illegal conduct by federal officers “reflects a long history of judicial review
of illegal executive action, tracing back to England.” Id. Otherwise, where review under the APA
is not available, the individual would be “left to the absolutely uncontrolled and arbitrary action
of a public and administrative officer.” McAnnulty, 187 U.S. at 110.

13

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For example, in Chamber of Commerce v. Reich, 74 F.3d 1322 (D.C. Cir. 1996) (Reich
II), the D.C. Circuit, holding that this Court had authority to review President Clinton’s executive
order related to qualifications for government contractors, explained that “courts will ‘ordinarily
presume that Congress intends the executive to obey its statutory commands and, accordingly,
that it expects the courts to grant relief when an executive agency violates such a command.’” Id.
at 1328 (collecting cases) (citation omitted); see id. at 1339 (holding executive order unlawful
because it conflicted with the National Labor Relations Act); see also UAW-Labor Emp’t &
Training Corp. v. Chao, 325 F.3d 360, 367 (D.C. Cir. 2003) (employing non-statutory review but
concluding executive order not preempted by National Labor Relations Act).
Importantly, although the D.C. Circuit has held that judicial review of USPS action is not
available under the APA, see Mittleman v. Postal Regulatory Comm’n, 757 F.3d 300, 307–08
(D.C. Cir. 2014) (relying on 39 U.S.C. § 410(a)), it has reviewed USPS actions under the
McAnnulty line of cases. See N. Air Cargo v. U.S. Postal Serv., 674 F.3d 852, 858 (D.C. Cir.
2012) (“We should note, preliminarily, that the Postal Service is exempt from review under the
Administrative Procedure Act, but its actions are reviewable to determine whether it has acted in
excess of its statutory authority.”); Aid Ass’n for Lutherans v. U.S. Postal Serv., 321 F.3d 1166,
1168, 1173 (D.C. Cir. 2003) (concluding that Postal Service regulations could be reviewed on
non-statutory basis notwithstanding exemption from APA because “the case law in this circuit is
clear that judicial review is available when an agency acts ultra vires” and holding regulations
void); see also Doehla Greeting Cards, Inc. v Summerfield, 116 F. Supp. 68, 74 (D.D.C. 1953)
(reviewing allegation that Postmaster General acted arbitrarily and capriciously in setting postal
zone rates).

14

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Plaintiff’s claims fit comfortably within the McAnnulty framework. They are premised on
actions by Defendants that are arbitrary, capricious, or in violation of statute, and unauthorized
by the statute from which they derive their authority. See Leedom v. Kyne, 358 U.S. 184, 190
(1958) (“This Court cannot lightly infer that Congress does not intend judicial protection of
rights it confers against agency action taken in excess of delegated powers.”).
B. NAACP is likely to prevail on the merits of its claims.
1. Violation of 39 U.S.C. § 3661(b)
In enacting the Postal Reorganization Act of 1970, Congress sought to balance two “basic
policies”: giving sufficient flexibility to the post office to implement certain managerial
decisions while “providing the American people a public service which is sensitive and
responsive to their needs.” Buchanan v. U.S. Postal Serv., 508 F.2d 259, 262 (5th Cir. 1975).
Congress balanced those goals by enacting a statute “whereby management is given the freedom
to manage without unnecessary limitations and the public is given an opportunity to present their
views on decisions of the Postal Service which affect them.” Id. Thus, although the Postal
Service has flexibility to adopt a range of changes without public input, the statute mandates a
process that includes an opportunity for public comment before the Postal Service adopts
changes that will impact mail delivery services on a nationwide or substantially nationwide basis.
See 39 U.S.C. § 3661(b); Buchanan, 508 F.2d at 262. Here, USPS’s own documents and
Postmaster DeJoy’s admissions establish that the PMG Plan and Pivot Instructions (hereafter
referred to jointly as the “Pivot”) are impacting mail delivery service on a substantially
nationwide basis. Accordingly, USPS was required to solicit public comment and seek an
advisory opinion before implementing the Pivot. Its failure to do so constitutes a violation of
§ 3661(b).

15

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Section 3661 begins by directing the Postal Service to “develop and promote adequate
and efficient postal services,” 39 U.S.C. § 3661(a). Given the importance of postal service,
Congress built in to the statute a public and agency oversight mechanism for any proposed
“change in the nature of postal services which will generally affect service on a nationwide or
substantially nationwide basis,” by requiring that such proposed changes be submitted to the
Postal Regulatory Commission “within a reasonable time prior to [the proposal’s] effective date”
for an “advisory opinion on the change.” Id. § 3661(b). Before issuing the advisory opinion, the
Commission must afford a “hearing on the record under [the Administrative Procedure Act]” to
“the Postal Service, users of the mail, and an officer of the [PRC] … represent[ing] the interests
of the general public.” Id. § 3661(c).
As the text of section 3661(b) makes plain, the advisory opinion and public comment
process is triggered when three requirements are met. “First, there must be a ‘change.’ This
implies that a quantitative determination is necessary. There must be some meaningful impact on
service.” Buchanan v. U.S. Postal Serv., 508 F.2d at 262. “Second, the change must be ‘in the
nature of postal services.’ This involves a qualitative examination of the manner in which postal
services available to the user will be altered.” Id. “Third, the change must affect service ‘on a
nationwide or substantially nationwide basis.’ A broad geographical area must be involved.” Id.;
accord NAACP v. U.S. Postal Serv., 398 F. Supp. 562, 565 (N.D. Ga. 1975) (quoting Buchanan).
Because each of these elements is satisfied here, Plaintiff is likely to succeed on the merits of its
claim. See Buchanan, 508 F.2d at 266–67 (upholding preliminary injunction against USPS for
failure to submit to Commission proposed “‘postal facilities deployment’ program [that] includes
a decision making process whereby postal facilities are relocated and altered”)).

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Change in the nature of postal services: The first two elements of section 3661(b) are
easily met: The Pivot resulted in both quantitative and qualitative impacts on the postal service
provided to customers. The Pivot Instructions required specific “transportation changes,”
including limiting the timeframe when employees are permitted to make mail delivery trips by
prohibiting additional transportation, prohibiting extra trips, and prohibiting late trips to deliver
mail. Pivot, supra note 33. As a result of these changes, the memo circulated to all USPS
employees anticipated that employees “may see mail left behind or on the workroom floor or
docks,” which is “not typical” and “may be difficult for employees.” Id. And as expected, the
changes caused and are causing delays and disruptions in service.
Indeed, Postmaster DeJoy has candidly described the changes as “fundamental,” and
“transformative.”39 And he acknowledged that the Pivot “impacted our overall service levels,”
and led to a “dip in our service.”40 These assertions are confirmed by an internal USPS document
showing a stark drop in on-time delivery rates between early July and early August.41 Over half

39

DeJoy, Testimony before House Oversight Committee, Aug. 24, 2020, at 51:10, available at
https://www.c-span.org/video/?474917-1/postmaster-general-louis-dejoy-testifies-postal-serviceoperations-mail-voting (hereafter Dejoy House testimony); Kristen Holmes & Veronica Stracqualursi, In new letter, USPS chief acknowledges ‘unintended consequences’ of recent policy
changes, CNN (Aug. 14, 2020), https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/14/politics/dejoy-usps-changes2020-election/index.html?utm_term=image&utm_source=twCNNp&utm_content=2020-08-14
T14%3A04%3A07&utm_medium=social (quoting DeJoy letter dated Aug. 10, 2020, stating
“Unfortunately, this transformative initiative has had unintended consequences that impacted our
overall service levels.”).
DeJoy, Testimony before Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee,
Aug. 21, 2020, at 47:08, available at https://www.c-span.org/video/?474940-1/senate-hearingus-postal-service.
40

41

USPS, Service Performance Measurement, PMG Briefing, Aug. 12, 2020, available at
https://oversight.house.gov/sites/democrats.oversight.house.gov/files/documents/PMG%
20Briefing_Service%20Performance%20Management_08_12_2020.pdf.
17

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of Americans polled in a survey conducted from August 14 through August 16 said they noticed
delays in mail service over the prior few weeks.42
In his congressional testimony, Postmaster General DeJoy, who is new to the Postal
Service, suggested that he had not announced a change to the nature of postal service—that he
was enforcing existing policies and that the “[t]he only change I made . . . was the trucks leave
on time.”43 But those assertions are contradicted by DeJoy’s own statements recognizing that the
transportation changes he implemented were “fundamental” and “transformative,” and by his
directive that the announcement of the changes be sent to “every single employee.” Pivot, supra
note 33. As a postal worker in Tennessee explained, the transportation Pivot is so significant
because “the new policy will not allow holding a truck for even five minutes so it can be loaded
with mail, adding that Express Mail and Priority Mail are often left sitting on the docks because
trucks have already left.”44 The worker explained, “That is very important mail - cremated
remains, legal documents, things that must be delivered on time, guaranteed delivery - and we
are not making that guarantee.”45 Elsewhere, the Postal Service has advised that, under the new
procedures, “Overtime will be eliminated,” and “[i]f the plants run late they will keep the mail
for the new day. If you get the mail late and the carriers are gone and you cannot get the mail out
without [overtime] it will remain for the next day.”46

42

See Orion Rummler, USPS priority mail delays got worse in early August, internal brief for
postmaster general shows, Axios (Aug. 22, 2020), https://www.axios.com/usps-mail-delayspostmaster-general-9a5d4076-c87a-4468-9fa5-2c7f3e17fbd6.html.
43

Ben Hall, Postal trucks sometimes travel across country - with no mail - after USPS cuts,
News Channel 5 (Aug. 24, 2020), https://www.newschannel5.com/news/newschannel-5investigates/postal-trucks-sometimes-travel-across-country-with-no-mail-after-usps-cuts.
44

Id.

45

Id.

46

Roger Sollenberger, Internal USPS memo appears to contradict postmaster general's
testimony, Salon (Aug. 21, 2020), https://www.salon.com/2020/08/21/internal-usps-memo18

Case 1:20-cv-02295-TSC Document 8-1 Filed 09/01/20 Page 30 of 43

Thus, Defendants cannot avoid their section 3661 obligations by characterizing the
changes at issue as “[m]inor alteration[s] which have a minimal effect on the general class of
postal users,” or a simple “reorganization of the management structure which would have no
impact on the service available to users.” Buchanan, 508 F.2d at 262, 267. Instead, because the
Pivot resulted in a “meaningful impact on service” that specifically affected the availability of
“postal services … to the user,” the first two elements of section 3661(b) are satisfied. See id. at
262–63.
The Postal Service’s past practice confirms that the changes to postal service announced
in the Pivot should have gone through the section 3661 advisory opinion process. See United
Farm Workers v Chao, 227 F. Supp. 2d 102 (D.D.C. 2002) (“[P]ast practice ... should be given
the deference ordinarily accorded any interpretation of a statute by the agency charged with its
enforcement.” (quoting Gelman v. Federal Election Comm’n, 631 F.2d 939, 943 (D.C. Cir.
1980)); see also Am. Wild Horse Pres. Campaign v. Perdue, 873 F.3d 914, 923 (D.C. Cir. 2017)
(“A central principle of administrative law is that, when an agency decides to depart from
decades-long past practices and official policies, the agency must at a minimum acknowledge the
change and offer a reasoned explanation for it.”). For example, in 2014, the Postal Service
sought an advisory opinion on a proposal to change the manner of processing and dispatching
mail that qualifies for a discounted price. For certain mail entered on Fridays or Saturdays, the
Postal Service proposed to change the delivery expectation or delivery service standard from 3
days to 4 days, in part justified based on cost considerations. See PRC, Advisory Op. on Service

appears-to-contradict-postmaster-generals-testimony/; also available at Nat’l Alliance of
Nonprofit Mailers, Leaked USPS PowerPoint indicates PMG DeJoy focus on getting operating
costs under control (July 14, 2020), https://www.nonprofitmailers.org/leaked-usps-powerpointindicates-pmg-dejoy-focus-on-getting-operating-costs-under-control/.
19

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Changes Associated with Standard Mail Load Levels, N2014-1, at 1–2, Mar. 26, 2014.47
Although the Postal Service proposed lengthening the delivery standard by only a single day, and
only for mail that was entered on two days of the week, it recognized the requirement that it
follow the process set forth in section 3661. After receiving comments and briefs from
intervenors, the Commission found that the Postal Service’s proposal was based on limited test
information and sometimes anecdotal accounts, criticized the Postal Service for failing to
conduct a more rigorous cost-benefit analysis and consult with mail users in evaluating the
potential impact of the proposed change, and noted concern that the proposal did not have
sufficient “support within the mailing community.” Id. at 5.
Similarly, in 2012, the Postal Service sought an advisory opinion under section 3661 on a
proposal to reduce the hours of operation at more than 13,000 post offices nationwide by 6, 4, or
2 hours per weekday, and to increase hours at approximately 73 locations. The Postal Service
stated that its proposed plan was intended “to achieve cost savings with limited reductions in
access and service,” and included provisions for soliciting community input with respect to the
changes in hourly operations at specific offices. PRC, Advisory Op. on Post Office Structure,
N2012-2, at 1–2, Aug. 23, 2012.48 Although the Postal Service intended the rule to have a
limited impact on service, it recognized the need to seek public comment and an advisory
opinion under Section 3661. After soliciting public comment, the Commission made
recommendations concerning access, community input, revenue, and staffing. Id.
Like the changes proposed in 2014 and 2012, the changes adopted by Defendants this
summer affect the speed of delivery and the operations at post offices across the country. The

47

Available at https://www.prc.gov/docs/89/89493/docket%20no.%20n2014-1_advisory%20
opinion.pdf; id. at 5.
48

Available at https://www.prc.gov/docs/85/85013/n2012-2_adv_op_082312.pdf.
20

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recent changes thus encompass the topics of both the 2012 and 2014 proposals, which went
through the section 3661 notice and comment process. In short, the changes directly addressed
the “nature of postal services.”
Substantial nationwide impact: The third element of section 3661—that the change
must affect service “on a nationwide or substantially nationwide basis,” 39 U.S.C. § 3661(b)—is
also satisfied here. Defendants’ Pivot has resulted in widespread reports of mail piling up in
regional distribution centers and post offices around the country, and of customers experiencing
substantial delays and disruptions in mail service.49 “A broad geographical area” is indisputably
affected by the changes. Buchanan, 508 F.2d at 263.
The substantial nationwide impact of the changes is reflected in Postal Service
documentation showing that on-time delivery of first-class mail, mass marketing mail, and
periodicals declined markedly between early July and early August, resulting in 8–9 percent
declines in on-time delivery. See USPS, Service Performance Measurement, Aug. 12, 2020.50
The substantial nationwide impact is also reflected in the testimony of Postmaster General
DeJoy, acknowledging an impact on our “overall service levels,” and a “dip in our service.”51 It
is reflected in the survey (see supra note 42) showing that more than half of all Americans in one
poll noticed delays in mail service over the prior few weeks. And it is reflected in a poll from
August 18, which similarly found that over a third of Americans expecting a package in the mail
over the previous week experienced a delay or non-delivery of the package.52
49

Luke Broadwater, Crisis Ripples Across Nation as Election Looms, NY Times (Aug. 18,
2020), https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/15/us/post-office-vote-by-mail.html.
50

See supra note 41.

51

See supra note 40.
Between Democratic and Republican conventions, Americans more likely to trust Biden on
COVID-19 than Trump, Ipsos (Aug. 25, 2020), https://www.ipsos.com/en-us/news-polls/axiosipsos-coronavirus-index.
52

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Specific examples abound. In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, residents reportedly
experienced delays of up to three weeks in receiving mail, leading to missed worker’s
compensation checks and paychecks.53 Baltimore County, Maryland, residents who had not
received mail in two weeks waited in line for hours at the post office to try and collect their mail.
Those residents reported that they were still unable to pick up their most important mail,
including checks and an unemployment benefit debit card needed to pay their bills.54 Similarly,
in Southeast Washington, DC, hundreds of residents went two weeks without receiving any
mail.55 Likewise, mail has been arriving late across Western New York: the president of a local
chapter of the American Postal Workers Union reported that, as a result of the changes in
service, “we’ve had entire towns that didn’t get their mail that day,” including “some of the
bigger ones—East Aurora, Lancaster.”56 Similar delays have occurred across central Alabama.57
In Maine, postal workers reported leaving 80,000 letters behind because they were not permitted

53

Ellie Rushing, Mail delays are frustrating Philly residents, and a short-staffed Postal Service
is struggling to keep up, Philadelphia Inquirer (Aug. 2, 2020), https://www.inquirer.com/
news/philadelphia/usps-tracking-in-transit-late-mail-delivery-philadelphia-packages-postalservice-20200802.html.
54

Kim Dacey, People who haven’t received mail in weeks line up at post office, WBALTV
(Aug. 6, 2020), https://www.wbaltv.com/article/baltimore-mail-delays-continue-no-mail-inweeks/33535355.
55

Kolbie Satterfield, Southwest DC residents go weeks without mail being delivered, WUSA9
(Aug. 13, 2020), https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/dc/two-weeks-no-mail-in-southeastdc-neighborhood/65-31535798-3c83-45f8-b0e4-775ce6d6e8f8.
56

See Jerry Zremski, Mail delays, days with no delivery prompt rising concern in WNY, Buffalo
Times (Aug. 13, 2020), https://buffalonews.com/news/national/govt-and-politics/mail-delaysdays-with-no-delivery-prompt-rising-concern-in-wny/article_d9944036-dd92-11ea-8f15-778f24
015679.html.
57

See Lauren Walsh, Central Alabama experiences some mail, package delays as USPS, UPS
feel COVID-19 impact, ABC33/40 News (Aug. 12, 2020), https://abc3340.com/news/local/
central-alabama-experiences-some-mail-package-delays-as-usps-ups-feel-covid-19-impact.
22

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to wait 10 minutes for them to be processed.58 There have been similar reports of delays in mail
service in states throughout the country.59
These disruptions and delays in postal service have caused Americans to go without their
life sustaining medication and medical supplies, including medications to treat diabetes, asthma,
hypertension, among other serious chronic conditions.60 In the last week, almost one in five
Americans got medication through the mail; “[o]ne in four of these (5% of all Americans)
experienced a delay or non-delivery.”61 Online pharmacy Honeybee Health said about 20 percent
of patients who order delivery via first-class mail have experienced delays so far: “The situation
is fluid but it’s clear from our customer service team that an usually high number of patients are
receiving their medication far later than expected—and in some cases, not receiving it at all.
These delays are troubling for everyone, but for patients who rely on medication to live, it’s
especially dangerous.”62
58

See Alison Durkee, Postmaster General Acknowledges ‘Unintended Consequences’ of USPS
Changes Causing Mail Delays, Forbes (Aug. 14, 2020), https://www.forbes.com/sites/
alisondurkee/2020/08/14/postmaster-general-louis-dejoy-acknowledges-unintended-consequ
ences-of-usps-postal-service-changes-mail-delays/#764bfdf46052.
59

See, e.g., Andrew Brown & Andrew Miller, Some SC businesses say they are experiencing
delays because of US Postal Service changes, The Post and Courier, (Aug. 14, 2020),
https://www.postandcourier.com/business/some-sc-businesses-say-they-are-experiencing-delaysbecause-of-us-postal-service-changes/article_e8716d38-dd6d-11ea-9c9e-a79f1c82a446.html;
Ron Trevino, USPS delivery delays leave 82-year-old Texas man without heart medication for a
week, WBNS (Aug. 17, 2020), https://www.10tv.com/article/news/nation-world/usps-delaysleave-humble-man-without-heart-medication/285-49815193-bf3d-4b45-a1a5-b0afe16236f7;
Ginna Roe, Utah diabetic waiting for more than a week for supplies by mail, KUTV, (Aug. 17,
2020),
https://kutv.com/news/local/utah-diabetic-waiting-more-than-a-week-for-supplies-bymail.
60

Rosalind Adams, et al., USPS Delays Are Causing People to Get their Prescriptions Late,
supra note 23.
61

Between Democratic and Republican conventions, Americans more likely to trust Biden on
COVID-19 than Trump, Ipsos, supra note 52.
Christina Farr, Patients say post office slowdown is delaying delivery of life-saving medications, supra note 22.
62

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Veterans, who overwhelmingly receive their medications through the mail, have reported
delays of weeks to receive medication.63 Veterans have also reported that delayed bills and
payments have caused them to incur late fees.64
* * *
Put simply, Defendants changes to postal service have had an undeniably substantial
impact on the delivery of mail and packages throughout the country. Section 3661(b) exists
specifically to provide an opportunity for public input on such changes. Defendants violated the
statutory mandate of section 3661 by failing to submit the changes as a proposal to the Postal
Regulatory Commission.
2. Action arbitrary, capricious, and contrary to 39 U.S.C. § 101(e)
Defendants instituted changes for processing and delivery of mail during a global
pandemic that is occurring during an election year. At the time he directed the changes,
Postmaster General DeJoy had held his position for only a few weeks. Yet without analysis of
the effects of the changes on the customers he is intended to serve—apparently without analysis
of the effect of the changes on delivery of medications, checks, bills, ballots, and other important
mail—the brand-new Postmaster General announced changes affecting service throughout the
country.65 These changes “are causing major delays,” according to postal workers, as “buckets of

63

See Letter from 31 Senators to Louis DeJoy (Aug. 13, 2020), https://bit.ly/345AaDj; James
Clark, How the battle over the US Postal Service is costing veterans dearly, Task & Purpose
(Aug. 18, 2020), https://taskandpurpose.com/news/postal-service-veteran-medication-delays.
64

Letter from Senator Gary Peters to Hal. J. Roesch II (Aug. 13, 2020), https://bit.ly/311tQe5.

65

DeJoy House testimony, supra note 39, at approximately 1:45 (declining to answer whether he
had analyzed effect of changes on delivery of prescription drugs).
24

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mail” are left “sitting” and workers are “being forced to come into work later and return
earlier.”66
The decision to implement these changes in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, when
reliable mail service has taken on particular importance, including because of primary elections
and the upcoming general election (see supra pages 9–10), reflects a failure to consider and
address “important aspect[s] of the problem”—the hallmark of arbitrary and capricious
decisionmaking. Gresham v. Azar, 950 F.3d 93, 99 (D.C. Cir. 2020) (quoting Motor Vehicle
Mfrs. Ass’n v. State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co., 463 U.S. 29, 43 (1983)). Indeed, there is no
evidence that Postmaster General DeJoy considered how the Pivot would affect the basic policy
objectives of the Postal Service as established by Congress, including the Postal Service’s
obligation to “provide prompt, reliable, and efficient services to patrons in all areas and [to]
render postal services to all communities.” 39 U.S.C. § 101(a). Perhaps most striking,
Defendants failed to consider their duty “[i]n determining all policies for postal services,” to
“give the highest consideration to the requirement for the most expeditious collection,
transportation, and delivery of important letter mail.” 39 U.S.C. § 101(e).
Defendants’ failure to consider the Pivot’s impact on key statutory directives, as the new
Postmaster rushed to make changes, requires that its action be set aside. See Gresham, 950 F.3d
at 102 (agency action arbitrary and capricious where the Secretary failed to “account for loss of
[health care] coverage, which is a matter of importance under the statute”); Am. Wild Horse Pres.
Campaign, 873 F.3d at 932 (arbitrary and capricious where agency “failed … to consider or to
adequately analyze the environmental consequences of [its] changes”); Love v. Thomas, 858 F.2d

66

Michael Sainato, Postmaster general’s changes causing mail delays, USPS workers say, The
Guardian (Aug. 16, 2020), https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/aug/16/usps-maildelays-postmaster-general-changes-workers.
25

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1347, 1358 (9th Cir. 1988) (agency action arbitrary and capricious where its “evaluation of the
relevant factors under [the statute] was incomplete and rushed”).
In short, to adopt the Pivot, which had an immediate impact in slowing delivery mail, in
the face of the increase in mailed medication and other mailed packages, as well as the wellpublicized increase in mailed ballots that will continue through early November, was arbitrary,
capricious, and contrary to the mandate of section 101(e).
II. Absent preliminary injunctive relief, Plaintiff is likely to suffer irreparable harm.
Absent preliminary relief, Defendants’ violation of section 3661 and the changes adopted
pursuant to the Pivot will cause irreparable harm to plaintiff NAACP and its members. The likely
harm is “certain and great”; it is “actual and not theoretical”; and it is “of such imminence that
there is a clear and present need for equitable relief to prevent [it].” Chaplaincy of Full Gospel
Churches v. England, 454 F.3d 290, 297 (D.C. Cir. 2006) ((internal quotations omitted; citing
Wisc. Gas Co. v. FERC, 758 F.2d 669, 674 (D.C. Cir. 1985)); see also League of Women Voters
of U.S., 838 F.3d at 7–8. Additionally, the injury will be “beyond remediation” in the absence of
preliminary relief. Chaplaincy, 454 F.3d at 297. And importantly, Postmaster Dejoy has stated
that he will not reverse the changes at issue. See Dejoy House testimony, supra note 39, at
5:19:04 (answering “No” to the question “Will you commit to reversing these changes?”).
First, a party experiences actionable harm when “depriv[ed] of a procedural protection to
which he is entitled,” such as notice and an opportunity to comment. Sugar Cane Growers
Cooperative of Florida v. Veneman, 289 F.3d 89, 94–95 (D.C. Cir. 2002). If such were not the
case, the APA’s requirement for notice-and-comment rulemaking “would be a dead letter.” Id. at
95. Thus, if Defendants have violated Plaintiff’s right to notice and an opportunity to comment,
“then, there is no question that [it] will be injured by the implementation of the” recent changes.

26

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N. Mariana Islands v. United States, 686 F. Supp. 2d 7, 17 (D.D.C. 2009). Indeed, as another
court has observed when considering a challenge to the Postal Service’s failure to comply with
section 3661, “[t]he denial of . . . a [section 3661] hearing, should one be required, is sufficient
irreparable injury to support interlocutory injunctive relief, for it is clear that no hearing will be
conducted and that the changes will continue unless enjoined.” Buchanan v. U.S. Postal Service,
375 F. Supp. 1014, 1022 (N.D. Ga. 1974); aff’d in relevant part, 508 F.2d at 266 (stating the
district court “was correct in its determinations that plaintiffs had properly established that there
was a substantial threat of irreparable injury” as necessary to warrant preliminary injunctive
relief).
Second, the changes that USPS implemented without following the required section 3661
process have caused delays that harm, and will continue to harm, NAACP members. For
example, NAACP member Earl Graham is a 62-year-old disabled veteran who relies on the
Postal Service for the delivery of important mail, including mail-order medications to treat
backpain, headaches, arthritis, sciatica, and cholesterol. See Graham Decl. ¶¶ 1–5. In the past,
Mr. Graham’s medications ordinarily arrived a few days after his doctor approved his
prescription. Id. ¶ 6. However, since mid-July, Mr. Graham’s prescriptions have taken much
longer to arrive, including a week or longer. Id. Approximately two weeks ago, Mr. Graham
reached out to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to inquire about these delays. Id. After a
Veterans Affairs representative spoke with his prescription provider, the representative informed
Mr. Graham that the delays in the delivery of his prescriptions were due to mail service delays.
Id. Mr. Graham is also voting by mail for the first time in the November 2020 elections because
he is concerned about exposure to COVID-19, especially as he is at higher risk for severe illness.
Id. ¶ 7. He is concerned that his ballot may not arrive on time due to mail delays. Id. The delays

27

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that Mr. Graham is experiencing in mail service as a result of Pivot, and his well-founded fear
that his ballot will not arrive in time to be counted, constitute irreparable injury warranting
injunctive relief. See, e.g., Buchanan, 375 F. Supp. at 1022 (irreparable injury from changes that
would have a likely impact on postal services, which would “continue unless enjoined”).
Third, the delays caused by the Postal Service’s changes have harmed, and continue to
harm, the NAACP itself by frustrating its mission and requiring it to divert resources to
counteract the effect of USPS’s action. See Havens Realty Corp. v. Coleman, 455 U.S. 363, 379
(1982); Spann v. Colonial Vill., Inc., 899 F.2d 24, 27 (D.C. Cir. 1990) (“Havens makes clear . . .
that an organization establishes Article III injury if it alleges that purportedly illegal action
increases the resources the group must devote to programs independent of its suit challenging the
action.”). An organization’s diversion of resources in response to agency action that perceptibly
impairs its mission creates a “risk of irreparable injury sufficient to warrant a preliminary
injunction.” Open Communities Alliance v. Carson, 286 F. Supp. 3d 148, 177 (D.D.C. 2017).
The mission of the NAACP, which is the nation’s largest and oldest civil rights
grassroots organization, is to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of
all persons and to eliminate race-based discrimination. Watkins Decl. ¶ 2. As part of its mission,
the NAACP has established a civic engagement program designed to encourage citizens to be
fully engaged in the democratic process and to raise awareness for political, educational, social,
and economic equality for communities of color in the electoral and legislative process. Id. ¶ 6.
Drawing upon the resources of the NAACP’s branches across the country, the civic engagement
program seeks to increase turnout among Black voters in federal, state, and local elections. Id.
The widespread delays in postal service since mid-July have required the NAACP, and
will continue to require the NAACP, to divert resources that it would have otherwise expended

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on other aspects of its civic engagement program. For example, because of numerous reports of
those mail delays, the Florida State Conference (which is part of the NAACP), and volunteers it
recruited as part of the civic engagement program, disseminated information and organized
transportation for voters to drop off their absentee ballots at local supervisors of elections in
advance of Florida’s August 18, 2020 primary election. Id. ¶ 8. The Florida State Conference is
planning to conduct similar activities in preparation for the November 2020 election as a result
of continuing concerns about delays in mail services. Id. Similarly, due to concerns about delays
in mail delivery, both the Georgia State Conference and Ohio State Conference, both parts of the
NAACP, plan to conduct similar activities in preparation for the November 2020 election,
including disseminating information, and organization events and transportation for voters to
drop off their absentee ballots at drop boxes. Id. ¶¶ 9–10.
Absent the widespread mail delays this summer, the Florida, Georgia, and Ohio State
Conferences would instead devote the resources spent on these activities to the regular activities
of the NAACP’s civic engagement program, such as registering voters, contacting registered
voters to ensure they have accurate voting information and encouraging them to vote, organizing
events to get out the vote, and conducting voter protection activities during early voting. Id. ¶ 11.
For example, because of the mail delays, the Florida State Conference will have fewer members

and volunteers available to conduct remote and in-person poll monitoring during early voting for
the November 2020. Id. ¶ 12. The Conference will divert members and volunteers to assist with
disseminating information about dropping off absentee ballots, organizing transportation, and
transporting voters to drop off absentee ballots. Id.
In sum, delays in mail delivery pose obstacles that make it more difficult for the NAACP
to accomplish its mission of registering voters, encouraging voters to vote and organizing events

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to get out the vote, and engaging in voter protection activities. The delays thus create a likelihood
of irreparable harm warranting preliminary injunctive relief. See League of Women Voters of
U.S., 838 F.3d at 9 (agency action making it more difficult for non-profit organization to
accomplish its mision of registering voters constitutes likelihood of irreparable injury to justify
preliminary injunction); see also Open Communities Alliance, 286 F. Supp. 3d at 178 (enjoining
agency action taken without required procedures where that action made work of the plaintiff
non-profit organization and caused it to change its activities). Indeed, as to this aspect of the
ongoing harm, after the election, “‘there can be no do over and no redress.’” League of Women
Voters, 838 F.3d at 9 (citation omitted).
III.

The balance of equities and the public interest support Plaintiff’s request for
preliminary relief.
Finally, a preliminary injunction is in the public interest where, as here, the equities for

granting one easily outweigh those against. In evaluating whether to issue a preliminary
injunction, courts “must balance the competing claims of injury and must consider the effect on
each party of the granting or withholding of the requested relief.” Winter v. Nat. Res. Def.
Council, Inc., 555 U.S. 7, 24 (2008) (internal citation and quotation marks omitted). In addition
to evaluating the relative effect of the injunction on each party, the Court must also consider
whether the requested relief would serve the public interest.
As discussed above, without an injunction, the NAACP and its members will suffer
serious and immediate harms that could not be sufficiently remedied later. By contrast, the Postal
Service would not be harmed by an order requiring it to follow the law, and the public interest is
served when administrative agencies comply with their statutory obligations. See Central United
Life, Inc. v. Burwell, 128 F. Supp. 3d 321, 330 (D.D.C. 2015) (“Forcing federal agencies to
comply with the law is undoubtedly in the public interest[.]”). This point applies fully to

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procedural obligations imposed by statute. See Gulf Coast Mar. Supply, Inc. v. United States, 218
F. Supp. 3d 92, 101 (D.D.C. 2016) (“The public interest is served both by ensuring that
government agencies conform to the requirements of the APA and their own regulations.”);
R.I.L-R v. Johnson, 80 F. Supp. 3d 164, 191 (D.D.C. 2015) (“Public interest is served when
administrative agencies comply with their obligations under the APA.”); Patriot, Inc. v. Dep’t of
Hous. and Urban Dev., 963 F. Supp. 1, 6 (D.D.C. 1997) (stating that “the public interest is best
served by having federal agencies comply with the requirements of federal law, particularly the
notice and comment requirements of the APA.”); see also Creosote Council v. Johnson, 555 F.
Supp. 2d 36, 40 (D.D.C. 2008) (there is a “general public interest in open and accountable
agency decision-making”).
Put simply, “[t]here is generally no public interest in the perpetuation of unlawful agency
action.” League of Women Voters, 838 F.3d at 12 (D.C. Cir. 2016) (citing Pursuing America’s
Greatness v. FEC, 831 F.3d 500, 511–12 (D.D.C. 2016); Gordon v. Holder, 721 F.3d 638, 653
(D.C. Cir. 2013)). And the public would not be harmed (to the contrary) by the restoration of
reliable postal service, providing the timely delivery of medicines and checks and other
important mail.
CONCLUSION
For the foregoing reasons, Plaintiff’s motion for a preliminary injunction should be
granted.
Dated: September 1, 2020
Samuel Spital (D.D.C. Bar No. SS4839)
Rachel Kleinman (NY Bar No. 4417903)
Monique Lin-Luse (NY Bar No. 5671920)
J. Zachery Morris (NY Bar No. 5392196)
John S. Cusick (NY Bar No. 5585245)

Respectfully submitted,
/s/ Allison M. Zieve
Allison M. Zieve (DC Bar No. 424786)
Matthew A. Seligman (DC Bar No. 1018889)
PUBLIC CITIZEN LITIGATION GROUP
1600 20th Street NW
Washington, DC 20009

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NAACP LEGAL DEFENSE &
[phone]
EDUCATIONAL FUND, INC.
40 Rector Street, 5th Floor
New York, NY 10006
[phone]
Counsel for Plaintiff NAACP

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