On Tuesday morning, March 19, NAPUS members gathered in the Capitol Visitor Center auditorium. Director of Government Relations Bob Levi had arranged for five lawmakers to address Postmasters. Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT), member of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, told Postmasters it seemed like he had just talked to them (Tester addressed Postmasters at the 2012 Leadership Conference). “Not a lot has changed, unfortunately!” he said.

Tester thanked Postmasters for what they do for Americans, including Montanans. Pointing out that Montana is large and rural, he said its citizens do not take the Postal Service for granted. “Your hard work keeps communities stitched together,” he declared. “That is why rural communities rely on the Postal Service.”

He said Congress needs to understand rural America. And there is a lot of work to do in order to put the Postal Service on firm financial footing. Tester referred to last year’s Senate-passed postal reform bill, S. 1789, saying it wasn’t perfect, but it would have helped.

He touched on growing package delivery and reiterated the agency needs more flexibility, but Congress must do it right. “Cutting hours and service won’t help,” he stressed. “And it can’t be put on the backs of postal employees.”

Tester said committee members are working on a new bill; they know what is at stake and hope to have a bill out soon. “I will keep fighting for responsible reform,” he pledged. “I share your commitment to saving the Postal Service.”

He told Postmasters to stay in touch; the good information they provide their lawmakers helps them make good decisions.

Rep. Michael Grimm (R-NY), a member of the House Committee on Financial Services, thanked Postmasters for their service and said they often are forgotten—people don’t recognize the Postal Service enough. “It takes a special person to serve this country,” he declared.

In discussing the challenges facing the Postal Service, he said common sense must prevail. He referred to the prefunding requirement, saying it is a new world now, compared to 2006 when it became law, and the agency must be as competitive as possible.

“Closing and consolidating facilities is misguided and undermines our history and standards of excellence,” he said. Grimm deemed the USPS indispensible—its dedication and level of service are unrivaled. And despite the Internet, the Postal Service still needs its brick-and-mortar presence.

“Don’t lose hope,” he said. “Some of us get it and know how honorable you are.”

Rep. Tammy Duckworth, (D-IL), is a member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. She told Postmasters she was honored to be in a room with fellow public servants. “We all know Congress is dysfunctional,” she said. “And nowhere is it more clear than in its handling of the Postal Service.”

Duckworth said she asked to serve on the Oversight and Government Reform Committee because of the Postal Service. She wants to help find reasonable solutions to help it function better and give it the tools to be competitive.

She is not a proponent of five-day delivery because of her concern over prescription deliveries. “We cannot have veterans or seniors not receiving their medications,” she stressed. Medications are sent via First-Class Mail; recipients can’t wait three or four days to receive them.

She told Postmasters they are lifelines and connections to senior citizens and rural communities who need the high-quality services they deliver. Small businesses need the USPS to help their business grow. And the Postal Service plays a valuable role in hiring veterans, allowing them to participate in our nation’s economy.

Duckworth said some want to blame federal and postal employees for our country’s financial challenges. But she vowed to stand up for hard-working public servants and work with them to allow the Postal Service to succeed and allow Postmasters to do their jobs.

“You have a friend in me,” she said. “I get it! I hope to be one of your voices in Washington.”

Sen. Mark Begich (D-AK), also a member of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, told NAPUS members Alaskans clearly understand the importance of the Postal Service and the necessity to pass a postal reform bill. He commended Postmasters for what they do and also NAPUS for its help on last year’s postal reform bill, S. 1789. “NAPUS brought a voice to the table,” he said.

He concurred that S. 1789 was a step in the right direction, especially on the prefunding issue. The committee recognized that prefunding could not be accomplished in just 10 years.

Begich said they hope to have a mark-up on a postal reform bill by April—it’s important to keep the bill moving. He said Sen. Tom Carper and Rep. Darrell Issa, chairmen of their respective committees, are talking to each other. Hopefully, as the bill moves forward, a lot of the issues will have been discussed between the House and Senate.

He pointed out the Postal Service needs long-term sustainability and that it can’t be accomplished in a piecemeal fashion. “We face significant challenges,” he admitted. “Congress is somewhat polarized.” He said Carper and Sen. Tom Coburn, the committee’s ranking Republican, have a strong relationship. Even though they may disagree, they understand they need to keep things moving.

Begich stressed again how important the Postal Service is to rural areas: “It’s not just another federal agency; it’s a critical service.”

“We have a great opportunity and know the clock is ticking. We are motivated to get this done,” he promised.

Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE), chairman of the committee working to fashion a postal reform bill, told convention attendees he has enjoyed working with the NAPUS leadership and their friends in Delaware.

He talked about the big picture, referring to the tough times the nation endured in 2007 through 2009. Last week, there were 330,000 jobless claims—good news for the economy. There are competing budgets that will be introduced in Congress this week. Clearly, the county needs a more fiscally responsible road map, but has an obligation to the “least of these.”

Carper said there are three key elements to dealing with the economy, which also relate to the Postal Service: develop additional revenues, reform entitlement programs and look at every segment and ask, “How do we get better results for less money?”

“Where does the Postal Service fit in?” he asked. “We need to pass legislation.” Carper referred to last year’s Senate-passed postal reform bill and said it was thanks, in no small part, to the efforts of NAPUS President Bob Rapoza and Director of Government Relations Bob Levi.

During last year’s efforts to pass postal reform, Carper said they negotiated to find something the House could live with—they were very close. But then time ran out.

Carper was encouraged when House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa and Ranking Democrat Elijah Cummings testified before the Senate committee on Feb. 13. “We need to communicate understanding with one another,” he said.

He also said the Postal Service cannot just focus on cutting and commended Sen. Bernie Sanders’ emphasis on how to best use the USPS’ unique distribution system. There are good ideas out there, but right-sizing has to be done in a humane way.

“You are a big part of the economy,” Carper told NAPUS Postmasters. “We need legislation to make it clear you will be here.” He also expressed thanks to our veterans.

He closed with a story from when he was governor of Delaware. He had received a letter from a young woman asking what the key to happiness was; she had sent the letter to all 50 governors. Carper said he sent her this reply—probably the shortest she would receive: “Serve others.”

“You do this, I do this,” he told Postmasters. “I hope it provides you as much pleasure as it has me.”