Over ten hours after the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee began consideration of  H.R. 2748, postal reform legislation introduced by Chairman Darrel Issa (R-CA), the panel approved the bill on a straight 22-17 party-line vote at about 8:14 PM EDT. Ranking Democratic Member Elijah Cummings (D-MD) offered a substitute bill, which focused on innovation and financial relief, was defeated on a 17-22 party-line vote. The important takeaway from the committee proceedings was that despite all the talk about the attempt to reach a bipartisan resolution to the  postal issue, the Issa bill still was starkly partisan, garnering not a single Democratic vote. This is in deep contrast to last year’s bipartisan postal relief bill, S. 1789. Moreover, the legislation carries some pretty heavy baggage that will hamper its ability to win approval on the House floor.

As previously mentioned, H.R. 2748 is an improvement over its 2011 predecessor, H.R. 2309. For example, the new bill creates a chief postal innovation officer, establishes a more reasonable amortization schedule for postal retiree health pre-funding, and recognizes the existence of a postal pension surplus. Nevertheless, the bill still does not grant the Postal Service access to excess pension contributions, promotes the closure of rural post offices, creates a new $10 million postal bureaucracy, increases U.S. Postal debt by $5 billion, and advances privatization of U.S. Postal Service.

Besides the Cummings substitute, amendments that were defeated include: eliminating the establishment of a postal-only workers’ compensation program, eliminating the requirement that the USPS convert no less than 30 million door deliveries to curbside and centralized deliveries, striking a provision that would limit collective-bargaining, and creating a more manageable retirement health payment schedule. Approved amendments include: limiting non-cash awards to senior postal executives, requiring community meeting prior to implementing changes to door delivery, and streamlining the approval of new postal packaging.

It is unclear when the bill will be brought to the House floor for a vote. However, before reaching the floor, the Congressional Budget Office must project the cost of the bill, the committee staff must prepare a detailed explanation of the bill, and the Rules Committee must establish the guidelines for floor debate.

NAPUS cannot support the legislation as drafted and will continue to work for constructive postal relief that will sustain the Postal Service, provide for innovation and safeguard universal service