MADISON - ST. CLAIR RECORD

U.S. Representative Rodney L. Davis (IL - 13) issued the following announcement on July 15.

U.S. Representative Rodney Davis (R-IL) is co-sponsoring H.R. 3076, the bipartisan Postal Service Reform Act, which enacts several reforms to help the United States Postal Service (USPS) become financially viable and enact efficiencies across the USPS, along with expanding services and providing sufficient independent oversight of the USPS. The legislation was introduced by Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY).

“I have been a strong supporter of the Postal Service throughout my time in Congress,” said Rep. Davis. “The USPS is a lifeline to communities I represent, particularly those in rural areas. For many families, the USPS delivers live-saving medication, benefits, or messages from loved ones. Their services are critical. That’s why I’m co-sponsoring the Postal Service Reform Act, so we can make the USPS financially viable for generations to come and implement efficiencies that will protect taxpayers and consumers alike.”

USPS’s financial condition continues to deteriorate due to several factors, primarily because of the legislative requirement that the USPS prefund its retiree health benefits. The agency’s liabilities have drastically increased because of the prefund mandate. For example, 83% of the $8.8 billion the USPS lost in Fiscal Year 2019 came from payments into its retiree pension fund and retiree health benefits fund.

The Postal Service Reform Act will help the USPS become financially viable and protect and expand services with the following reforms:

• Repeals the mandate that USPS has to prefund future retirement health benefits and adopt a “pay-as-you-go” system, treating USPS like other federal agencies
• Integrates retiree healthcare with Medicare, allowing the Postal Service to fully coordinate with Medicare, reduce costs, and receive a return on its investment since all employees pay into Medicare
• Maintains six-day delivery services
• Requires USPS to establish performance targets and publish weekly performance data on its website
• Requires USPS to submit a report every six months on USPS operations and financial conditions and also study and identify inefficiencies and implement a plan to remedy those inefficiencies
• Authorizes the USPS to enter into agreements with state, local, and tribal governments to offer services such as the processing of hunting and fishing licenses
• Expands duties of USPS Inspector General (IG) to function as the IG for the Postal Regulatory Commission, allowing for more efficient oversight of the USPS

Rep. Davis has been a strong supporter of the USPS. Davis has co-sponsored legislation in previous sessions of Congress to enact reforms and provide additional federal support to the USPS and has even urged leaders of his own party to support the USPS in negotiations over COVID-19 relief legislation at the onset of the pandemic.

 Original source can be found here.