Government affairs

Legislative Updates

Week in review December 16-20

This was a very busy week for lawmakers on Capitol Hill ahead of a countdown on temporary funding set to expire this Friday, December 20. Thankfully, Congress approved funding via two long-term spending packages to fund the government through September 30, 2020, thereby avoiding a shutdown. Congress also approved the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which was then signed into law, while the House passed the U.S. Mexico Canada Trade Agreement (USMCA) and voted through articles of impeachment.

Congressional activity

On Thursday, the House passed the USMCA (H.R. 5430), which would replace the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The renegotiated USMCA improves on language regarding labor rights/enforcement and violation prosecution, access to low-cost medicines, and environmental provisions. Read more here.

Following House passage on Tuesday, the Senate cleared two fiscal year (FY) 2020 funding packages for a signature from the president on Thursday. The $1.4 trillion packages preserve NALC’s language on 6-day delivery, repeals high-cost plans known as the “Cadillac tax” which were instituted under the Affordable Care Act, allows generic drugmakers to seek samples of brand name drugs, extends the Export-Import Bank through 2026, and shores up funds for the United Mine Workers of America pension plan that was set to be gutted without Congressional action. In addition, the deal included a 3.1 percent pay increase for most federal workers, which unfortunately does not apply to the Postal Service as we bargain over pay. Read more on the appropriations packages and on the process here.

On Friday, the president signed the fiscal 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 2500/S. 1790) into law. This massive defense package primarily centers on funding military programs, but also includes language that provides a 3.1 percent pay raise for the military, 12 weeks of paid parental leave to the entire federal workforce, and adopt the Fair Chance Act, which prevents all branches of the federal government and federal contractors from requesting criminal history information at the start of the hiring process. Read more on the bill here.

NALC Priority Bills/Resolutions

H.R. 2382/S. 2965 – USPS Fairness Act
Status: Introduced by Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR) and Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT)
Co-sponsors: 299 House (233 Democrats – 66 Republicans) – 2 Senate (2 Democrats – 0 Republicans)

To repeal the requirement that the United States Postal Service prepay future retirement benefits.

House Resolution 23 (H. Res. 23) – Door Delivery
Status: Introduced by Reps. Susan Davis (D-CA) and Peter King (R-NY)
Co-sponsors: 257 (206 Democrats – 51 Republicans)

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the United States Postal Service should take all appropriate measures to ensure the continuation of door delivery for all business and residential customers.

House Resolution 33 (H. Res. 33) – Anti-privatization
Status: Introduced by Reps. Stephen Lynch (D-MA) and Rodney Davis (R-IL)
Co-sponsors: 267 (226 Democrats – 41 Republicans)

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that Congress should take all appropriate measures to ensure that the United States Postal Service remains an independent establishment of the Federal Government and is not subject to privatization.

House Resolution 54 (H. Res. 54) – Six-day Delivery
Status: Introduced by Reps. Gerry Connolly (D-VA) and Sam Graves (R-MO)
Co-sponsors: 291 (218 Democrats – 73 Republicans)

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the United States Postal Service should take all appropriate measures to ensure the continuation of its six-day mail delivery service.

House Resolution 60 (H. Res. 60) – Service Standards
Status: Introduced by Rep. David McKinley (R-WV) and Marcy Kaptur (D-OH)
Co-sponsors: 203 (178 Democrats – 25 Republicans)

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the United States Postal Service should take all appropriate measures to restore service standards in effect as of July 1, 2012.

Senate Resolution 99 (S. Res. 99) – Anti-privatization
Status: Introduced by Sens. Gary Peters and Jerry Moran (R-KS)
Co-sponsors: 53 (43 Democrats – 8 Republicans – 2 Independents)

Expressing the sense of the Senate that Congress should take all appropriate measures to ensure that the United States Postal Service remains an independent establishment of the Federal Government and is not subject to privatization in whole or in part.

H.R. 2478 – Fed Retirement Fairness Act
Status: Introduced by Reps. Derek Kilmer (D-WA) and Tom Cole (R-OK)
Co-sponsors: 52 (39 Democrats – 13 Republicans)

To provide certain federal employees the opportunity to make catch-up retirement contributions for time spent as temporary employees after Dec. 31, 1988, thus making such time creditable service under the Federal Employees Retirement System. Now applies to temporary postal employees, such as letter carriers who spent time as casuals, TEs, and CCAs.

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