eNAPUS Legislative and Political Bulletin
Six-Day Delivery Continues to Be Ground Zero
It’s no secret that the US Postal Service has a decades-old desire to secure control of delivery frequency. Presently, the six-day delivery mandate is located in annual appropriations bill that, in part, provide postage subsidies to nonprofit mailers, and funds free mail-for-the-blind and overseas voting.
A few years ago, the Postal Service claimed that about $3.1 billion could be saved annually from eliminating one day of mail delivery; the Postal Regulatory Commission projected savings of slightly over $1.7 billion; and, last month, the Congressional Research Service estimated the savings to be in the neighborhood of $1.5 billion per year, and gradually falling to $900 million by 2024. It is important to point out that neither the Postal Reform Act of 1971 nor the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006 establishes any requirement as to the frequency of mail service.
The only such requirement is in the annual appropriations bills, which require six-day delivery. Unlike other operational restrictions imposed on the Postal Service in the appropriations bill (e.g., limitations on post office consolidations and closures), the delivery mandate is not tied to “appropriated funds.” For example, the USPS may not use the limited congressionally appropriated funds to close or consolidate small and rural post offices.
However, the six-day delivery mandate is not linked to the appropriation; rather, the USPS is prohibited from using even its own funds to reduce delivery frequency. This distinction is important because, ordinarily, such a restriction, is subject to a “point of order”, which could result in its removal from the bill. In order to protect the provision from a point-of-order, the House Rules Committee has traditionally “waived” points of order against the six-day provision. In late June, House Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services Chair Ander Crenshaw (R-FL) presented the full Appropriations Committee a bill that did NOT include the six-day mandate.
The omission was unprecedented. However, at the full committee markup, Reps. Jose Serrano (D-NY) and Tom Latham (R-IA) proposed an amendment to resinsert the sixday mandate. Crenshaw offered a lukewarm defense of the omission and advised committee members to vote their conscience — which they did, approving the Serrano-Latham Amendment by voice vote. This past Monday, House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chair Darrel Issa (RCA) requested that the Rules Committee not protect the sixday language from a point-oforder; however, on Wednesday, the Rules Committee rejected Issa’s request. The appropriations measure with the “protected” six -day provision may be considered on the House floor next week.
Issa’s effort comes on the heals of a House GOP Leadership attempt to legislate the elimination of the six-day language through a Highway Trust Fund bailout bill. The leadership asserted that savings attributable to the elimination should be used to temporarily rescue the Trust Fund, a federal account that helps finance roadway construction and repairs. It is noteworthy that the USPS endorsed this scheme, which would have employed a budget gimmick to underwrite temporary relief for a program unrelated to the USPS.
The strategy failed to gain support; its foremost advocate, outgoing House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) lost his primary; and the ultra-conservative Heritage Foundation ridiculed the ploy. The legislative strategy seems to rest with the unproven assumption that if the elimination of sixday delivery could be passed — independent of postal relief legislation — enough legislative maneuvering room would be created to permit action on comprehensive postal relief legislation.
House Postal Committee Politics
The Senate and House postal committees may undergo major changes next year as a result of the November elections, retirements and term limits; and these changes would directly impact legislation relating to the Postal Service and postal employee benefits.
House Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Darrell Issa (R-CA) is term-limited as committee chair. Since Democratic control of the House is remote, the two leading contenders for the gavel are Reps. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) and Mike Turner (R-OH). Chaffetz is in his 3rd term in the House and Turner is serving in his 6th term.
During the 111th Congress, Chaffetz served as the ranking GOP member of the postal subcommittee, under the chairmanship of Rep. Steve Lynch (D-MA). In the past, Chaffetz has promoted periodic “postal holidays” as an alternative to fiveday delivery. Recently, the Washington Post profiled the constructive relationship between Chaffetz and committee ranking Democrat Elijah Cummings (D-MD).
Turner currently chairs as subcommittee on the House Armed Serviced Committee. During the 109th Congress, Turner served as chair of the Government Reform Committee’s Subcommittee on Federalism and the Census. One of the issues in which Turner took a leading role was investigating the gutting of former General Motors employees retirement benefits.
Rep. John Mica (R-FL) is also making a play for the committee chairmanship. Mica is in his 11th term and served as chair of the now defunct Subcommittee on Civil Service.
Chaffetz, Turner and Mica are campaigning among their colleagues. The decision on the next chairman will take place after the November 4 election. The House Republican Steering Committee will make its recommendation to the House Republican Conference, which is comprised of all GOP House members.
via: http://www.napus.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/3.14.pdf
Blood sucking politicians are wealthy aristocrats that play games from war to domestic issues that increase party recognition as to a liberal or conservative to enhance what ever issue they can create to gain favorable attention for their party and have no real interest in working middle class Americans as most manufacturing is outsourced to China,Asia and Central America. Check high price Ralph Lauren clothing as most made in China. Corporate earnings increasing and stock has steadily moved from $90 a share to near $160.00 since blue blazers made in China presented to Olympic team which caused negative results as team was later presented with blazers made in USA. Corporate earnings generated at lowest cost somewhere and this is some where abroad. Same political groups play post office
without any desire to reach cost effective operations as they have no real desire to deal with a semi-quasi government operation that was mandated to maintain a breakeven point in operation cost. Will not deal with a domestic issue that is securitized by pressure group lobbyist that generate votes and finances to gain favor. Then there is the rest of the story; votes.
6 day street delivery is a waste as it creates debt for no useful purpose. Priority and express are time products that customer will use as it meets a need.
The only green numbers in quarterly financial reports are parcel and shipping with revenue exceeding SPLY.
Politicians with no common sense have one issue and that is to gain favor to get votes from people that are ignorant or blind to reality. Politicians that advocate 6 day delivery and maintain keeping small offices in areas that have 5-6 offices in 7-8 mile radius are in the Neanderthal stage of postal development. First class mail volume will continue to decrease and revenue to cover lost cannot be generated to maintain present postal operations. USPS cash on hand is as low as four days and no more than 7 days. USPS is a true nonprofit organization in todays advancing technological communications.
Concentrate on consumer demand in time demand parcels as online shopping is continuing to increase.
truck driver: We’ve already lost the business. USPS is trying to RIGHT SIZE the delivery schedule to fit the amount of FIRST CLASS it receives. It is also RIGHT SIZING the parcel delivery schedule due to the increase of parcels in the system. My office is delivering parcels 7 days a week.
They will LOSE even more business if it goes to 5 day and that’s not good business.
finally saturdays off,now i can my weekends to do fun stuff.
Scott: by the way, USPS management has absolutely nothing to do with nonprofit rates – they are mandated by Congress.
Sorry, here is the link:
http://pe.usps.com/text/pub417/pub417_c2_002.html#vnameref_1
The one that chaps my tender parts is the national committees of the two major political parties. Why should the rest of the mailers have to subsidize those dishonorable thieves?
@Scott: “nonprofit” rates, as you say, can apply to organizations whose primary purpose is religious, but there are other types of organizations too.
2-2.1 Categories of Organizations
Nonprofit organizations that are organized and operated for the following primary purposes may apply for authorization to mail at the Nonprofit Standard Mail (nonprofit) rates. Certain political committees (see 2-2.2) and voting registration officials (see 2-2.3) also may apply for authorization to mail at nonprofit rates.
The eight categories of eligible nonprofit organizations are:
• Religious.
• Educational.
• Scientific.
• Philanthropic (Charitable).
• Agricultural.
• Labor.
• Veterans.
• Fraternal.
Same old crock, belongs to Congress when votes in sight , but a people’s Corporation when come to operation shortfalls and complaints . Congress still abdicates duty between votes !
The financial impact from going to 5-day delivery would be HUGE! USPS would SAVE billions of dollars and the NALC would LOSE thousands of dollars. The latter due to lost unions dues. A financially strong USPS means a better paycheck and it is the USPS that signs our checks not NALC. Regarding pre-funding, it should NOT be eliminated, it should however be re-amortized, having a nest egg to cover retirees healthcare is a good thing. Politicians and unions need to face facts and step out of the way of REAL postal reform.
Dear Mr. Dlee, Without those union thugs your retirementand health care would be history! Remember the words of our pal his royal majesty King Donahoe, “the best practice of private business”. Our pal wants to cut our benefits. And if you are still working N.Z. and Australia want to go for Three day delivery per week. How will you do then!
Here’s a huge personal complaint as a letter carrier I have with the USPS, among countless others. When we refer to “non-profit” mailings, that includes only one thing: religious solicitation. And like in too many other elements of society, the USPS is kissing Christianity’s ass because these self righteous thieves believe they are above everybody else to the point of being exempt from taxes and trying to force a theocracy on the nation. Why they should be allowed a subsidy to mail out tithe offerings, flyers for wack jobs who occasionally come to area churches and try to scare the living shit out of the gullible with “last days” exhortations and quotes from Revelation that are no more accurate than Nostradamus is beyond me. Plus, how about all these televangelists, a church in Tulsa that promises riches for contributions and gives out cheap shit like prayer cloth or a plastic cross to the stupid, and other crooks? Fools and their money are soon parted, ’tis true, but what about mail fraud?
How much would the USPS bring in if they had the sense and balls to make organized religion pay for its propaganda like everybody else has to? Since when should anybody be given such handouts just because of their religious enterprise?
Same with bulk mailers. Charge them more instead of raising first class rates all the damn time. But postal management takes bribes from these people to keep their mailing prices free with a handout if it’s a “Christian” mailing and very low prices for the rest. Just another way the USPS management screws all of us.
Get rid of 6 day delivery. The same union thugs that shout to save Saturday delivery are the same ones who call in sick on Saturdays
How do they think after a holiday week-end [after Sat is no delivery] there won’t be overtime every time on a Tue., not so bad on a drive route but what about the walking route,it won’t be a easy day.
And don’t they know farmers work 7 day a week and need parts delivered to them?