The bill signed Sunday had more than 5,000-pages covering government funding, COVID-19 and reams of other unfinished legislation on taxes, education and health care.
The bill also includes : Postal Service ($10 billion). Forgives a $10 billion loan to the Postal Service provided in earlier relief legislation.
From National Association of Postal Supervisors:
On December 21, Congress passed $908 billion in coronavirus relief and an end-year omnibus appropriations bill (H.R. 133). The combined legislation includes $10 billion in COVID-19 assistance for the U.S. Postal Service. Specifically, the postal provision converts the $10 billion line of credit enacted as part of the CARES Act (H.R. 748), into direct aid to the Postal Service, without requiring repayment. (The CARES Act was signed into law in March 2020.) The $10 billion in postal aid is intended for operational costs and other expenses resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Also, the bill provides a repreive from full implementation of “manifesting” all inbound foreign parcels conveyed by the USPS. The provision would permit international shipments that USPS or Customs and Border Protection determines to be at low risk of violating laws and regulations to be exempt from an electronic information requirement.
The appropriations component of the bill provides $55.3 million to the Postal Service to reimburse the agency for the postage incurred by overseas voting and mail for the blind. The appropriations section also retains the annual requirement to maintain six-day mail delivery, and prohibition against the USPS closing rural or small post offices. Finally, under pressure from the Senate, the bill deleted the House-passed provision to establish postal banking pilot programs.
From National Postal Mail Handlers Union:
While this emergency funding will provide relief to the Postal Service, it falls short of previous calls for aid. In April, the USPS Board of Governors requested $25 billion in emergency funding to help combat revenue loss due to the pandemic. Additionally, the House passed the HEROES Act (H.R. 6800) in May which included this $25 billion, hazard pay of $13.00 an hour for essential workers, as well as the removal of borrowing stipulations from the CARES Act. The NPMHU and the postal community saw further support for the Postal Service with the Postal Service Emergency Assistance Act (H.R. 8123/S. 4147), which also called for $25 billion in emergency funding, and also required the USPS Board of Governors and the Postmaster General to develop a financial solvency plan, setting up talks for postal reform legislation. The $25 billion in emergency funding was also part of the House-passed Delivering for America Act (H.R. 8015).
Not only has the United States Postal Service faced losses due to the pandemic, but so have the men and women on its dedicated workforce. Our elected leaders need to put forth legislation that not only recognizes the current financial needs of the Postal Service to ensure universal service to every American household and business, but also the health and safety needs of all postal employees.
Throughout this devastating pandemic, the USPS and its workforce time and time again have proven to be an essential service. The NPMHU will continue to push the need for COVID-19 emergency funding for the Postal Service and needed protections for its employees.
Both Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) called the legislation “far from perfect,” and President-elect Biden stated this is only a down payment, noting more stimulus packages to come. I certainly hope that is the intention of the incoming administration, and that additional funding will be a priority for the 117th Congress.