Bipartisan Postal Service Reform Act passes Senate, headed to Biden’s desk

Legislation to reform the United States Postal Service passed the United States Senate on Tuesday.

The bipartisan Postal Service Reform Act strengthens transparency and accountability for USPS performance, eliminates unnecessary financial burdens, and helps ensure USPS can better serve the American people.

Having passed the House and the Senate, the bill now heads to President Joe Biden’s desk and is one step closer to becoming law.

The Postal Service Reform Act will:

• Eliminate the aggressive prefunding requirement that has hurt the Postal Service financially, and integrate postal worker retirees’ health care with Medicare. Together, these two reforms would create $45.9 billion in savings for the Postal Service over the next ten years.
• Require the Postal Service to maintain its standard of delivering at least six days a week.
• Improve transparency of Postal Service operations to both customers and Congress by requiring the publication of easily accessible weekly service data on the Postal Service website, as well as issuing a detailed report to Congress every six months on Postal Service finances and operations.
• The bill also includes provisions for Postal Service accountability and growth.

To see the full text of the Postal Service Reform Act, click here.

Comments

“The Postal Service has provided critical services for Virginians, especially throughout the pandemic— including delivering mail, paychecks, and lifesaving prescription drugs,” U.S. Sen. Kaine (D-VA) said. “But too often, Virginians have experienced unacceptable mail delays. I’m proud we were able to work across the aisle to help address this issue and stabilize the Postal Service, while saving billions of dollars.”

“This legislation is a strong first step towards improving the costly and unacceptable delays within the United States Postal Service,” U.S. Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) said. “The USPS provides essential services to Americans across the country, and it is crucial that we maintain a healthy and solvent USPS moving forward. I am proud to support this bill, which will increase transparency and work to address the widespread delays experienced by Virginians.”

“After more than a decade of hard work and negotiations, the Postal Service Reform Act is finally on its way to the president’s desk,” said Congressman Gerry Connolly (D-VA-11), chairman of the House Subcommittee on Government Operations. “This will save the Post Office from financial ruin, and ensure our mail is delivered for decades to come. I want to thank Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney for her tireless leadership on this legislation, and I look forward to it being signed into law.”