e-Team Report, June 17, 2015

House Committee Votes To Restore Overnight Mail

Ever since the Postal Service acted in January 2015 to cut their service standards from 2012 levels, America’s once prompt mail service has fallen off a cliff. Citizens and businesses alike are feeling the sting when their bill payments, medicines, newspapers, or absentee ballots have been excessively delayed. Even the USPS’s own performance data shows the same sad truth, degrading service standards has virtually eliminated overnight mail delivery and resulted in dramatic delays to America’s mail.

When it comes to ensuring the timely processing and delivery of mail, Congress has the ultimate authority over postal operations.  Congress is beginning to exercise that authority – today the House Appropriations Committee voted to restore prompt, reliable mail. 

By a vote of 26-23, the committee adopted an amendment by Rep. Chaka Fattah (D-PA) to the House Appropriations Financial Services bill. The amendment would undo the January service cuts and requires the Postal Service to “maintain and comply with service standards for First Class Mail and periodicals effective on July 1, 2012.”

Jose Serrano (D-NY), Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Financial Service Subcommittee, put it plainly, “The future of our Public Postal Service is threatened by delayed mail.” Speaking in support of the amendment and timely mail service, Rep. David Joyce (R-OH) added, “If we’re going to have standards, let’s have standards of excellence.” 

Co-sponsors of the bipartisan House Resolution 54 (H.Res.54), a non-binding measure which calls on the Postal Service to restore 2012 service standards, were crucial in the adoption of this important amendment. H.Res.54 co-sponsors on the committee provided 21 of the 26 ‘Aye’ votes for the service standards amendment.

“This is an important step forward towards putting service back into Postal Service,” said APWU President Mark Dimondstein. “And after this first step, together we must take several more steps to secure the future of this great public institution.” Now that it is passed out of committee, the next stop for the Financial Services Appropriations bill (now including the service standards amendment) is the full House of Representatives.  When the full House considers the bill, it will be beneficial to have as many H.Res.54 co-sponsors as possible.

Presently, 194 members of Congress support the bipartisan measure H.Res.54 – does yours?

If not, please give their office a call and ask them to co-sponsor H.Res.54 today. You can read more about H.Res.54 here.