Congress Drafting New Bill to Help USPS Become Profitable

WASHINGTON, DC—There may
be relief for the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) on the horizon without the need for U.S. taxpayers to foot the bill. The Postal Reform Act of 2013 is at the discussion draft stage on the House of Representatives side, with House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa outlining some of the highlights in order to solicit broad input prior to introduction.

“The release of Chairman Issa’s discussion draft on the Postal Reform Act is the first step in a long process to achieve a new law, but it is a very important step,” noted Lisbeth Lyons, vice president, Government Affairs, for Printing Industries of America. “We’re pleased to see the draft discussion out now and hope to see actual legislation introduced and considered sooner than later.”

Among the highlights of the draft:

• Prevents taxpayer bailouts by providing the USPS the necessary tools to cut costs and restructure its finances.
• Allows the Postal Service to shift to a modified Saturday delivery schedule, maintaing packages and medical supplies deliveries.
• Offers an affordable payment plan for retiree health care benefits.
• Brings in new leadership to manage the USPS during restructuring, temporarily replacing the Board of Governors with a panel tasked with turning the USPS around.
• Modernizes mail delivery, eliminating “to the door” delivery while saving $4 billion or more annually.

Congress ran out of time in 2012 to push through a bipartisan bill that was intended to put the USPS back on the path to profitability.