Government affairs

Reps. David McKinley (R-WV) and Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) have reintroduced House Resolution 119 (H. Res. 119), expressing the sense of Congress that the Postal Service should take all appropriate measures to restore the service standards that were in effect as of July 1, 2012.

Over the last several years, the Postal Service has proposed and implemented service standard reductions resulting in the elimination of overnight mail delivery, delayed mail processing due to the closure and consolidation of hundreds of processing plants, and reducing hours at thousands of post offices.

In the face of overwhelming opposition and network service disruptions caused by those initial changes, the Postal Service paused implementation, but it is expected that further service reductions are imminent, especially if Congress delays action on postal reform efforts.

“The agency cannot cut its way to prosperity—not when it has a constitutional obligation to provide timely and efficient service to business and residential customers nationwide,” President Rolando said. “Reducing service standards will be met with strong opposition, making H. Res. 119 an important one for members of Congress to support.”

Reductions in service and calls for privatization have previously been considered as a substitute for addressing underlying financial issues. NALC opposes misguided service reductions, calls for postal privatization, and encourages members of Congress to support these important bills and resolutions.