New Congressional Majority Against Mail Delays

The legislative movement against delayed mail achieved an important milestone over the past week. For the first time, an outright majority of the Republican-controlled House of Representatives is now calling for an end to delayed mail and the return of overnight mail standards. This accomplishment is building on the overwhelming and bipartisan 85-11 Senate vote in April against postal cuts.

Over the last week, 3 Republicans and 3 Democrats have signed on as co-sponsors of House Resolution 54 (H.Res.54), which now has 219 co-sponsors in total. Led by Reps. David McKinley (R-WV) and Paul Tonko (D-NY), H.Res.54 calls on the USPS to restore mail restore service standards to those in effect from July 1, 2012 – January 4, 2015. The latest cosponsors are demonstrative of the broad coalition demanding prompt service: Democrats and Republicans, urban and rural, committee chairs and congressional newcomers.

• Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI)
• Rep. David Young (R-IA)
• Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-MT)
• Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT)
• Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-FL)
• Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX)

Although the USPS has temporarily delayed implementation of the planned closure or consolidation of dozens of postal facilities, the damage has already been done to the speed of America’s mail. Overnight mail standards were eliminated by the USPS on January 5, 2015. Now, the USPS is failing to even meet these greatly lowered standards. In many cases, postal customers must wait days or longer for prescriptions, bills, checks, and correspondence. Ultimately, Congress has the authority and responsibility to ensure prompt and reliable mail service to all Americans.

While this new majority is important and noteworthy, it must be considered in context. This bipartisan resolution is a non-binding measure that does not carry weight of law. As such, H.Res.54 by itself will not stop America’s delayed mail and the dismantling of the postal network – it is an essential tool in our fight to fix the problem. As the APWU and our allies push for action, be it through a government funding bill, comprehensive postal legislation, or any other  venue – we are backed by the voices of an outraged public and the strength of congressional majorities in both chambers.

Each new voice will make our movement stronger. If your representative is not yet a cosponsor of H.Res.54, please contact their office and request they join today. To see how your state is doing and where your representative stands on the resolution, please click the map below.