opinion-editorial
The Postal Service needs our help
BY CAROLYN MALONEY
The United States
Postal Service is one of
our most prized national
institutions, but it has
faced fi nancial trouble
for many years. The
pandemic that engulfed
our nation two years ago
exacerbated these challenges
as the Postal Service
was stressed to its
operational limits and
millions of Americans
in every corner of the
country found that they
needed the Postal Service
like never before.
Across the country—
in cities, suburbs, and
rural areas—Americans
have relied on the
Postal Service more
than ever to deliver lifesaving
medicine, masks,
and test kits. As the
motto goes: “Neither
snow nor rain nor heat
nor gloom of night stays
these couriers from the
swift completion of their
appointed rounds.” The
coronavirus does not
stop the Postal Service
either. In fact, the Postal
Service answered the
call despite the very real
risks to its personnel
and a lack of adequate
resources. When America
needed it most, the
Postal Service was there
for America. And right
now, the Postal Service
needs some help from us.
While there is much
that divides us, there
are issues on which
Democrats and Republicans
can and do work
together. Protecting and
strengthening the Postal
Service so it can serve
all Americans—regardless
of zip code—is one of
these issues.
The Postal Service
is a critical link, and a
common thread, that has
helped to bind our nation
since the American
Revolution, when the
Continental Congress
appointed Benjamin
Franklin the fi rst postmaster
general. Today,
no other entity reaches
every American, six
days a week, no matter
the weather and no matter
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where they live in
this vast country. As the
Chairwoman and Ranking
Member of the Committee
on Oversight and
Reform, which has jurisdiction
over the Postal
Service, we are dedicated
to ensuring that
this American institution
can continue to perform
its critical mission.
The Postal Service
began facing a deteriorating
fi nancial situation
almost immediately
after Congress passed
the last postal reform
legislation in 2006 due to
decreasing use of First-
Class Mail. This situation
has continued despite
increased demand
for package shipping.
The Postal Service has
tens of billions of dollars
in debts and is projected
to run a $160 billion
defi cit over the next
ten years if Congress
doesn’t act. A signifi -
cant reason are the outdated
laws under which
it must operate.
That is why we introduced
the bipartisan
Postal Service Reform
Act. Let’s be clear,
this is a bill to save the
Postal Service. It will
do that by removing the
legislative relic that the
Postal Service prefund
retiree health benefi ts.
This might have worked
when First Class Mail
left the Postal Service
with plenty of cash but
does not today—and it
has not worked for over
a decade. Coupled with
a provision directing
postal retirees to utilize
the Medicare benefi
ts they have already
earned, something retirees
from all other
American businesses
do, this bill will reduce
the Postal Service’s obligations
by $50 billion
over the next ten years.
The bill will also require
the Postal Service
to create a public, online
dashboard where it
would post weekly updates
on service performance.
This will vastly
improve transparency
and give us the ability
to spot problems or
glitches as they arise.
This information will
help Congress and the
public hold Postal Service
leadership accountable
when mail is not
being delivered on time.
This transparency will
also enhance the American
public’s trust and
confi dence in the Postal
Service, which has been
shaken in recent years.
According to the nonpartisan
Congressional
Budget Offi ce, the bill
will help the Postal Service’s
fi nances while at
the same time decreasing
federal spending by
$1.5 billion. This bill is
not only a win for the
Postal Service and its
customers, it’s a win for
the American taxpayer
as well.
This week, the U.S.
House of Representatives
did its job and delivered
for the American
people by delivering for
the Postal Service. The
House passed the Postal
Service Reform Act with
a bipartisan vote of 342-92.
Now it’s the Senate’s turn.
Our colleagues in the
Senate, Chairman Gary
Peters and Ranking
Member Rob Portman,
introduced an identical
bipartisan bill that now
has 14 Republicans and
14 Democrats as cosponsors.
There is no reason
that this critical bipartisan
reform should not
pass the Senate and go
to the President’s desk as
soon as possible.
The Postal Service is
a key part of our country’s
history—and our
future. Members of Congress
from across the
country and the political
spectrum support this
legislation. We call on
the Senate to pass this
bill as soon as possible
so the Postal Service can
continue to serve the
American people.
U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney
represents New
York’s 12th Congressional
District covering Manhattan’s
East Side and parts
of Queens and Brooklyn.
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A DIVISION OF
When America needed it most, the Postal Service was there for America. And right now, the Postal Service needs some help
from us, says U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney. File photo
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