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Rep. McHugh Introduces Postal Reform Bill
APWU Web News Article #1-05, Jan. 5, 2005
Postal reform legislation was the first order of business for Rep. John McHugh (R-NY) when the 109th Congress convened on Jan. 4: He introduced a postal reform bill (H.R. 22) that is based on a measure approved by the House Government Reform Committee last year (H.R. 2468). The measure was co-sponsored by Committee Chairman Tom Davis (R-VA), Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA), and Rep. Danny Davis (D-IL).
The Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act is the product of a bipartisan effort last year by Democratic and Republican leaders of key congressional committees. Members of the House panel and the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee worked to forge a consensus among the mailing industry, postal unions, consumer groups, and USPS competitors to draft compromise legislation. The House and Senate committees approved the bills unanimously, but the bills stalled after the White House announced opposition to two crucial aspects of the bill in November.
The Bush administration opposed a provision that would release from escrow billions of dollars in USPS overpayments to the Civil Service Retirement System. The White House also opposed a provision that would return to the Treasury financial responsibility for military retirement benefits for postal workers who served in the military. Both provisions remain in the bill introduced by Rep. McHugh.
The administration also indicated that last year’s bills “fail to meet the President’s reform principles,” and listed 15 modifications it wants, including several that would negatively affect postal employees and the American public.
The McHugh bill also contains a provision that would curb excessive postage discounts for corporate advertising mailers but does not include proposals by the President’s Commission on the U.S. Postal Service to cut postal workers’ pay, benefits and bargaining rights.
