The following is a press release reprinted here for our clients and partners to access. The original release was posted on March 8th at https://about.usps.com/newsroom/national-releases/2022/0308-usps-applauds-senate-passage-of-postal-service-reform-act.htm.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 8, 2022
Contact: David Partenheimer
david.a.partenheimer@usps.gov
usps.com/news
U.S. Postal Service Applauds Senate Passage of Postal Service
Reform Act
Bipartisan Legislation Now Awaits President’s Signature
WASHINGTON, DC — The U.S. Postal Service today congratulated the leadership and members of the U.S. Senate for its bipartisan approval of the Postal Service Reform Act. The bill, which was approved by the House on Feb. 8, now goes to the White House to be signed into law by President Biden.
“With the legislative financial reforms achieved today, combined with our own self-led operational reforms, we will be able to self-fund our operations and continue to deliver to 161 million addresses six days per-week for many decades to come,” said Postmaster General and CEO Louis DeJoy. “I thank the Senate and our Committee leadership that broke the 10-year logjam which has long constrained the finances of the Postal Service. The Postal Service serves every American every day and so it’s only right that our future is now collectively assured by members of all political parties.”
As passed by the House and Senate, the key elements of the Postal Service Reform Act are that it eliminates the unfair, outdated, and burdensome retiree health benefit prefunding requirement, and it integrates our retiree health benefit program with Medicare in a manner that is fully consistent with private sector best practices. The bill also formalizes our obligation to deliver mail and packages six days per-week through an integrated delivery network, and includes accountability, transparency and reporting requirements.
This legislation was an important component of the Delivering for America 10-Year Strategic Plan, which was announced in March 2021. Together with the operational reforms that are also a part of that Plan, the Postal Service will be able to achieve its two primary goals of financial sustainability and service excellence.
Further information about the necessity and merits of this postal reform is contained in this factsheet:
https://about.usps.com/who/government-relations/assets/psra-postal-101-02282022.pdf
The Postal Service generally receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.
