Government affairs

Legislative Updates

Senate committee preserves six-day language in unanimous FY2017 FSGG appropriations bill

On June 17, the Senate Committee on Appropriations voted to approve the Fiscal Year 2017 Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) appropriations measure.

Like the House Appropriations bill passed last week, the Senate measure also includes the long-standing six-day mail delivery language for which NALC members have lobbied throughout this session.

“We are pleased to see that both the House and Senate committees on appropriations have once again recognized the critical importance of maintaining six-day mail delivery,” NALC President Fredric Rolando said. “It is clear that the appetite for service reductions in Congress is being replaced with public demand for strong services. NALC activists should be proud of the tremendous work they have done to educate members of Congress on this issue.”

The $22.4 billion bill, which provides annual funding for the Treasury Department, the Judiciary, the Small Business Administration, the Securities and Exchange Commission and several other agencies, is $1 billion below the Fiscal Year 2016 enacted levels and more than $2.2 billion less than President Obama’s request. The Senate measure calls for $2.2 billion more in funding than the House Committee on Appropriations’ approved measure.

With regard to funding, one of the biggest differences between the two bills is the House’s proposal to cut nearly $838 million in funding to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Instead, the Senate version provides $11.2 billion for the agency—the same as the Fiscal Year 2016 enacted levels. 

Also included in the Senate measure was language banning any funds made available to implement the Securities and Exchange Commission Rule 30e-3.

Unlike the House Appropriations measure, the Senate Committee on Appropriations did not address the issue of restoring service standards that were in place prior to July 1, 2012.

With the House and Senate expected to recess in mid-July, it remains unclear whether any additional action will be taken on the House or Senate floors on individual appropriations measures.

Return to Legislative Updates

NALC MEMBER APPS

The free NALC apps for smartphones provide convenient access to tools and information about issues affecting active and retired letter carriers. Information on downloading and using the apps is in our apps section.

CLICK FOR NALC APPS