The legislative movement against delayed mail achieved an important milestone over the past week. For the first time, an outright majority of the Republican-controlled House of Representatives is now calling for an end to delayed mail and the return of overnight mail standards. This accomplishment is building on the overwhelming and bipartisan 85-11 Senate vote in April against postal cuts.
Over the last week, 3 Republicans and 3 Democrats have signed on as co-sponsors of House Resolution 54 (H.Res.54), which now has 219 co-sponsors in total. Led by Reps. David McKinley (R-WV) and Paul Tonko (D-NY), H.Res.54 calls on the USPS to restore mail restore service standards to those in effect from July 1, 2012 – January 4, 2015. The latest cosponsors are demonstrative of the broad coalition demanding prompt service: Democrats and Republicans, urban and rural, committee chairs and congressional newcomers.
- Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI)
- Rep. David Young (R-IA)
- Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-MT)
- Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT)
- Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-FL)
- Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX)
Although the USPS has temporarily delayed implementation of the planned closure or consolidation of dozens of postal facilities, the damage has already been done to the speed of America’s mail. Overnight mail standards were eliminated by the USPS on January 5, 2015. Now, the USPS is failing to even meet these greatly lowered standards. In many cases, postal customers must wait days or longer for prescriptions, bills, checks, and correspondence. Ultimately, Congress has the authority and responsibility to ensure prompt and reliable mail service to all Americans.
While this new majority is important and noteworthy, it must be considered in context. This bipartisan resolution is a non-binding measure that does not carry weight of law. As such, H.Res.54 by itself will not stop America’s delayed mail and the dismantling of the postal network – it is an essential tool in our fight to fix the problem. As the APWU and our allies push for action, be it through a government funding bill, comprehensive postal legislation, or any other venue – we are backed by the voices of an outraged public and the strength of congressional majorities in both chambers.
Each new voice will make our movement stronger. If your representative is not yet a cosponsor of H.Res.54, please contact their office and request they join today. To see how your state is doing and where your representative stands on the resolution, please click the map below.
Every member of Congress who voted for Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006, should be targeted if they still hold political office any where and a strong supporter of the USPS should be on the ticket in that person next election. Politicians worry about two things, money and their next election, so stop their money and kick them out of office.
Like ( more of the same ) wrote, the USPS management won’t do anything unless there is a law. Past and current management has destroyed the post office across the country and will continue to if congress doesn’t do something. And soon. I think the current PM Genera is just there so she can collect a larger retirement check. Haven’t seen anything worth wile from her yet. Fire her and put in somebody who is a believer that we bring service to the people not excuses.
Exactly right! Anytime Management does something they hide it first. Then they bring it out into the light as austerity. Then they say they told us beforehand and begin to ruin the service standards which EVERYONE said was stupid business. Management acted like they cracked an unknown universal way of doing business by making it worse and taking longer to deliver. They got rid of standards. Really stupid like getting a letter from one end of town to the other in one day. We ALL said it’s just unbelievable! Then they made us all fight to get back the service standards we had beforehand. WOW. We are all just sitting here knowing full hand what Management wanted to do before it started it’s media BS blitz and the after effects. We shouted it from the rooftops and now years later after the damage has been done we have to fight to get it back to what it was before! What an utter waste of time and money and nationwide efforts just to prove management is full of layers of useless brain dead moss.
When are we gonna learn? When will people just try to understand what we are saying? Put someone in charge as PMG that started at the bottom and actually worked for a change and make the Post Office great again!!!!
President Obama and the U.S. Congress will continue 2 do absolutely nothing 4 USPS or postal-workers,as has been the case 4 almost seven-years. And that’s true 4 both Republicans and Democrats.
Well, we need binding legislation, then! USPS management will thumb their noses at everybody until they are forced to comply with restoring the overnight standard, and that won’t happen with just a pansy ass resolution. Management is out for bonuses and bribes, people. They pad their pockets from direct mailers, other competition like UPS and FedEx who actually are on a committee that determines how the USPS handles its business, and anybody else willing to spread the bread around.
Those reading this, including Congress and the public, need to know the real story. While we letter carriers and clerks are delighted that a show of force has been presented, you must know management does not give a rat’s ass about its customers. They claim to, but they consider you, the public as a pain in the ass, especially when you complain. They’re lazy, don’t want to do the right thing, and are obsessed with covering their asses. They have been taken to Federal court for retaliating against whistleblowers working in harmful conditions, including carbon monoxide leaks and shorting employees on their overtime pay. They simply live in a world of their own.
They are legendary for harassing employees and other management beneath them on the totem pole. These are bad people put in positions of power far beyond their capabilities. The current PMG is there because she worked in the same office as the previous one, Pat Donahoe, easily the worst Postmaster General in the history of written human communication. It was he who wanted lower standards and close plants, lied to Congress about it, lied to individual legislators and citizens, saying they wouldn’t close plants in a particular city and then turning around and doing it anyway.
No, friends, it must be binding law that can result in removal or even imprisonment for those who refuse to comply with any new standards implemented. The pressure is fine, but we are way beyond blowing hot air.