Democrats and Republicans introduce bipartisan legislation to avoid wasting USPS

A non-partisan group of legislators in the House and Senate have joined forces to end the 15-year Republican sabotage of the US Postal Service.

A press release from Rep. Pete DeFazio (D-OR) states: “Reps. Peter DeFazio (OR-04), Tom Reed (NY-23), Carolyn B. Maloney (NY-12), Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01), Colin Allred (TX-32) and Senators Steve Daines (R-MT ) and Brian Schatz (D-HI) today announced the reintroduction of the USPS Fairness Act, a bipartisan piece of legislation to provide much-needed financial relief to the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) by removing the agency’s onerous pre-funding mandate for future benefits Retired is terminated. “

The purpose of the legislation, which the House passed by more than 300 votes last year, is to end the mandate that the postal service must pre-finance health services for retirees decades in advance. The insidious mandate was introduced into a 2006 law to bankrupt the postal service and fulfill one of the Republican Party’s biggest privatization fantasies.

Rep. DeFazio said: “Americans depend on a reliable postal service. This is especially true in rural areas, as well as veterans and seniors in my district who count on six day door-to-door service for their mail, small business, and prescription medication. The unreasonable pre-financing mandate has threatened the very survival of the USPS and compromised vital services for the millions who rely on it. The pre-financing mandate policy is based on the absurd idea of ​​paying for the retirement benefits of people who do not yet and may never work for the postal service. I hope that under a Biden administration we can finally lift this ridiculous policy, give the USPS critical financial relief, and take the first step towards much-needed comprehensive reform. “

The legislation is supported by both parties in the House of Representatives and the Senate and has a good chance of being passed.

Joe Biden is in the White House. Democrats control Congress, which means it’s time to end the decades-long Republican war on the Post.

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Mr. Easley is the Founder / Executive Editor, White House Press Pool, and a Congressional Correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a bachelor’s degree in political science. His thesis focused on public order with a specialization in social reform movements.

Awards and professional memberships

Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and the American Political Science Association