Postal Reform Legislation H.Res.60, H.Res.23 and H.Res.54
APWU Calls on Congress to Support H.Res.60, H.Res.23 and H.Res.54
The United States Postal Service (USPS) is a national treasure, enshrined in the Constitution and supported by the American people. Without any taxpayer funding, the USPS serves 150 million households and businesses each day, providing affordable, universal mail service to all. The 2006 Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act placed an erroneous pre-funding mandate on the USPS to pay future retiree health benefits 75 years in advance, with an unsustainable payment schedule hardwired into the law. These payments have crippled the Postal Service financially. They have defaulted on the annual payment since 2012. The recent financial losses experienced by the USPS are almost entirely a result of the 2006 law. Declining mail volume alone would not have put the USPS on such fragile financial footing.
Congress urgently needs to pass comprehensive Postal Reform legislation to address the pre-funding mandate, before the USPS continues to diminish service by delaying America’s mail, eliminating door delivery and seeking the end of Saturday mail delivery.
House Resolution 60
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the United States Postal Service should take all appropriate measures to restore service standards in effect as of July 1, 2012. Sponsor: Rep. David McKinley (WV-1)
- Prompt and reliable nationwide mail service is critical to retaining business, growing business and satisfying customers.
- Delayed mail will continue to drive business away from USPS and to its competitors.
- Requiring the mail to be transported further distances, USPS’s mail slowdown plan has increased costs and actually lost the agency money.
- E-commerce operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week; the USPS should be using its unique network to increase services to businesses and residential customers to accommodate the changing world we live in.
House Resolution 23
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the United States Postal Service should take all appropriate measures to ensure the continuation of door delivery for all business and residential customers. Sponsor: Rep. Susan Davis (CA-53)
- Converting existing door-delivery to centralized delivery points is wildly unpopular among small business and residential delivery customers.
- The USPS’ brand is its best asset; that brand is trusted by the American people at their door and inside their businesses, not at a neighborhood cluster box.
- Revenue is generated everyday by Letter Carriers who connect with business owners and other customers at the door.
House Resolution 54
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the United States Postal Service should take all appropriate measures to ensure the continuation of its 6-day mail delivery service. Sponsor: Rep. Gerry Connolly (VA-11)
- USPS provides affordable last-mile delivery for UPS, FedEx and Amazon to every delivery point in the country, partnerships that have been extremely successful. Without Saturday delivery these companies will find alternate, more expensive means of delivery.
- The Postal Service is delivering in some places 7-days a week now and is offering same-day delivery through partnerships. Eliminating Saturday delivery is counterproductive to the thriving e-commerce business the Postal Service is part of.
- Eliminating Saturday delivery will drive business and revenue away. Many mailers target Saturday delivery sending coupons and circulars to be used over the weekend.
Resources
Download a Copy of this Factsheet
