H.R. 3076 is Reportedly Coming to the House Floor Next Week; With Bipartisan Backing, as well as Support from the U.S. Postal Service & Labor Unions, the Legislation Represents Rare Consensus Policy to Keep USPS Delivering Reliably & Affordably
(WASHINGTON, D.C.—February 3, 2022)— Former Congressman Kevin Yoder (R-Kan.), executive director of the Keep US Posted campaign, which consists of members of the American public and consumer interests as well as industry groups, sent a letter today urging the House of Representatives to pass the Postal Service Reform Act of 2021 (H.R. 3076). The bipartisan legislation—which would free the Postal Service from a 2006 law requiring the Postal Service set aside funds for retiree health benefits 75 years in advance, as well as codify an integrated six-day delivery schedule for most mail—is reportedly set to hit the floor for vote next week.
In the letter, former Congressman Yoder, a strong advocate for the U.S. Postal Service during his four terms in the House, writes:
“The Postal Service Reform Act of 2021 is the greatest opportunity for positive, bipartisan postal policy in more than a decade, and it is desperately needed. The legislation and its critical package of reforms emerged from joint efforts on the part of USPS management, labor unions, and customer stakeholders to find consensus on critical policies to preserve the Postal Service and its ability to deliver for the American people. Most importantly, the legislation is critical to fixing long-standing financial challenges stemming from the 2006 Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act, which imposed an unsustainable and crippling prefunding requirement for retiree health care costs. To address this issue, the Postal Service Reform Act strikes a delicate and necessary balance. It ensures that obligations to postal workers can be met on a sustainable basis by allowing future USPS retirees to access the benefits from Medicare for which they have paid.
“The importance of a sustainable Postal Service should now be clear to everyone as it begins to deliver COVID-19 testing kits throughout the nation and remains the only network capable of reaching every address in the country six and seven days each week.
As a former Member of Congress, I urge all Members to recognize the rare bipartisan, even nonpartisan, opportunity offered by The Postal Service Reform Act of 2021. The legislation helps guarantee that the Postal Service will remain funded by postage, not taxpayer funding, as it continues its critical functionality as the only courier able to go the last mile to serve every part of the country, no matter how remote.”
To read the full letter, visit: https://www.keepusposted.org/house-reform-letter.
ABOUT KEEP US POSTED
Keep US Posted is a campaign consisting of consumer interests, members of the public, news media organizations, industry groups and businesses—all united in the belief that a reliable, affordable U.S. Postal Service is essential to our way of life and must be protected. Keep US Posted supports bipartisan Postal Reform legislation (H.R. 3076), which helps to fix financial issues at USPS, as well as alternatives to current and future efforts to slow the mail and increase postage rates. To learn more about the campaign and get involved, visit www.KeepUSPosted.org.
###
Media Contact: Beth Dozier | 919.602.4478 (m) | beth@revelcommunications.com