WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Senate passed historic, bipartisan legislation led by U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI) and Rob Portman (R-OH), Chairman and Ranking Member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, to set the United States Postal Service on a more sustainable financial footing and support the goal of providing long-term reliable service across the country. The bill – which has now passed both the House and Senate with strong bipartisan support – would make the first major reforms to the Postal Service in nearly 15 years. The Postal Service Reform Act now heads to the President’s desk to be signed into law.
“By passing this historic legislation, the Senate has shown the American people that we can come together, build consensus, and pass meaningful reforms that will improve lives. This bill, which has been 15 years in the making, will finally help the Postal Service overcome burdensome requirements that threaten their ability to provide reliable service to the American people,” said Chairman Peters. “I worked closely with the bipartisan leaders of my committee and the House Committee on Oversight and Reform to ensure our reforms could receive significant support from both sides of the aisle – and I was pleased to see a strong bipartisan vote in both chambers. I urge the President to sign this groundbreaking legislation into law – so that we can ensure this historic institution and its dedicated workforce, who have served the American people for more than 250 years, can continue providing invaluable services to every American community for years to come.”
To see video of Senator Peters’ remarks prior to passage of the bill, click here.
“The Postal Service has played a vital role in American life as far back as the Revolutionary War. Today, it continues to bind Americans together and ensures the delivery of vital medicines, business documents, and personal correspondence,” said Ranking Member Portman. “I am proud the Senate has passed our bipartisan Postal Service Reform Act, which will, when coupled with the Postal Service’s transformative 10-year plan, help turn around the substantial losses at the Postal Service over the last decade and ensure self-sustaining, high-quality postal service for all Americans.”
The Postal Service Reform Act would provide key financial and operational reforms to the United States Postal Service. The bill would eliminate the onerous prefunding requirement that has hurt the Postal Service financially, and integrate postal worker retirees’ health care with Medicare. Together, these two reforms would create more than $49 billion in savings for the Postal Service over the next ten years. In addition, the bill would require the Postal Service to maintain its standard of delivering at least six days a week. The legislation would improve transparency of Postal Service operations to both customers and Congress by requiring the publication of easily accessible local weekly service data on the Postal Service website, as well as regular and detailed reporting to Congress on Postal Service finances and operations. The bill also includes additional provisions for Postal Service effectiveness, accountability and growth.
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