After a 35 minute delay due to late senator arrivals from the annual National Prayer Breakfast, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committees amended it ways through S. 1486, culminating in approval by bipartisan 9-1 majority. (There were 6 proxies cast and proxies are only listed as part of the committee record.)  On final passage, those present and voting in support of the bill included Senators:

• Tom Carper (D-DE)
• Carl Levin (D-MI)
• Mark Pryor (D-AR)
• Claire McCaskill (D-MO)
• Mark Begich (D-AK)
• Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND
• Tom Coburn (R-OK)
• Ron Johnson (R-WI)
• Kelly Ayotte (R-NH)

Senator Jon Tester (D-MT) was the only senator present, voting against the measure.

Senators McCain (R-AZ) and Enzi (R-WY) voted in favor of bill, by proxy; and Senators Landrieu (D-LA), Baldwin (D-WI), Portman (R-OH) and Paul (R-KY) voted no, by proxy.

In part, the legislation would partially refund excess Postal Service contributions to FERS, create a postal employee/retiree module within the FEHBP and require Medicare-eligible retirees to enroll in Medicare, provide the Postal Service with enhanced pricing flexibility, and encourage postal innovation. The measure also eliminates the right of future postal employees to participate in FERS, reforms the worker’ compensation program, and permits 5-day mail delivery no sooner than 2017. Two NAPUS-promoted amendments were adopted: first, an amendment introduced by Senator Begich would clarify provisions impacting pay consultations; and second, an amendment introduced by Senator McCaskill would help protect post offices in rural communities.

Today, two amendments dominated the “markup”, which was a continuation of the January 29 committee meeting. The first controversial amendment dealt with the rate-setting process and was offered by Senator Baldwin. The amendment would have maintained the current overly restrictive CPI-indexed postal rate-system. At the markup, Baldwin modified her amendment by sun-setting the recently approved exigent rate increase after only one year and, then, permitting the Postal Service to adjust rates by the CPI plus 1%. Carper and Coburn countered the Baldwin Amendment with an amendment of their own that would permanently keep the exigent rate increase as part of a postage baseline, and would continue to adjust the postage by the CPI. In addition, the Carper-Cobrun Amendment would direct  the Postal Service to propose a new rate system in 2017 that the PRC could approve or reject. If rejected, the existing rate system would continue. The committee approved the Carper-Coburn amendment by a 9-6 vote. The second controversial amendment, which was offered by Senator Paul,  dealt with the carriage of firearms on postal property. This was more political theater than substance. As introduced, the amendment would have permitted concealed firearms on postal property, so long as federal, state, municipal, or private covenant permitted such carriage. Senator Begich offered an alternative amendment, which would permit firearms into a postal parking lot, but not into a postal facility, such as a post office. The Paul Amendment failed by a 6-9 vote, and the Begich Amendment passed by a 15-0 vote.

Senator Heitkamp offered an amendment that was adopted by voice vote, which placed a tw0-year moratorium on plant closings and service standard changes. In addition, the amendment would preclude the Postal Service from altering delivery frequency until 2017, assuming that mail volume fell under 140 million pieces for four successive quarters. (The managers’ amendment would have permitted moving to 5-day delivery in 2016, if the volume went to 140 million for four successive quarters.)

It is unclear when the committee will be able to bring S. 1486 to the floor, because scheduling is under the control of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV). In addition, NAPUS expects that the bill, as reported, will undergo substantive changes prior to reaching the floor. Such changes would be part of “floor manager’s amendment”.