Yesterday evening, Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-02), Senior Member on the House Appropriations Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee supported the passage of H.R. 3076, the Postal Service Reform Act of 2022. This bipartisan effort is being made to secure the financial foundation of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) which is projected to run out of money to operate by 2024. In order to prevent this, the bill eliminates the requirement that the USPS pre-fund retiree health benefits. The bill also requires future USPS retirees to enroll in Medicare while also creating a separate federal health insurance system for postal employees and retirees that is more closely integrated with Medicare. Altogether, these changes are estimated to save the USPS nearly $50 billion over ten years.
“Almost every American is impacted directly by the U.S. Postal Service. From big cities to rural communities outside the reach of private delivery services, the USPS reaches nearly 159 million delivery points and adds about a million more each year to ensure everyone has access to crucial delivery services. This bill not only modernizes the USPS to ensure greater financial stability, it improves its commitment to service and transparency,” said Congressman Bishop. “USPS is an indispensable institution that people depend on for the timely delivery of paychecks, rent checks, life-saving medicines, social security, veterans benefits, and so much more. It is also an essential asset to countless small business owners in rural, remote, and Native areas, who need the postal service to move their products.”
The bill will require the USPS to continue mail deliveries at least six days per week as well as create an online "dashboard" through which the public can see weekly updates of national and local postal delivery performance. It also allows the USPS to contract with federal agencies and state and local governments to offer certain noncommercial public services at U.S. postal facilities. The bill also expands the special rates for local newspaper distribution to support local news organizations.
Original source can be found here.
