H.R. 2382, the USPS Fairness Act, Comes to the House Floor Next Week

January 31, 2020

It is likely that H.R. 2382, legislation to repeal the onerous requirement that the U.S. Postal Service prepay future retirement health benefits, will receive a House floor vote on Wednesday, February 5. The bill, if enacted into law, would relieve the Postal Service of the unfair and unique burden imposed on it by the 2006 Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act. Past USPS prefunding has contributed to the agency’s operational problems and its inability to invest in its employees and infrastructure. NAPS supports H.R. 2382. However, it is important to note that passage of H.R. 2382 will not solve all the Postal Service’s financial and operational problems. Comprehensive, constructive and meaningful legislation is the path to long-term viability.

Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR) introduced H.R. 2382 in April 2019, and the measure was placed on the “Consensus Calendar” in early December. The use of the Consensus Calendar provides the bill with an expedited path to a vote by the full House of Representatives. Presently, H.R. 2382 commands the cosponsorship of 302 members of Congress, approximately 70 percent of the House. NAPS members are to be commended for their efforts to solicit for bill cosponsors. At this time, NAPS members should contact their Representatives to vote “Yes” on passage of H.R. 2382.

S. 2965, the Senate Version of H.R. 2382

Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) introduced S. 2965, the Senate companion to H.R. 2382. S. 2965 presently has only 2 cosponsors: Sens. Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Ben Cardin (D-MD). NAPS members should contact their Senators to cosponsor the bill.  For contact information for Senate offices, click here. 

NAPS Legislative Training Seminar Only Weeks Away (March 8-11)

The theme of the 2020 LTS is: “Engaged Minds Producing Legislative Partners.” In effect, NAPS’ legislative effectiveness, whether in our Nation’s Capital or in our home communities, relies on NAPS member engagement in the legislative and political realm.  This year’s LTS will equip NAPS members with the tools to be successful in working with members of Congress as legislative partners. 

We will engage our elected leaders by educating them about the need to reform the EAS pay consultation process, the need for meaningful and constructive postal legislation, the importance of preserving a government-run postal system, and the necessity to protect postal employee health and retirement benefits from the budget ax. LTS will connect 600 NAPS LTS delegates with their House members and Senators. This year’s LTS takes place in an election year when all 435 House of Representative seats and 35 Senate seats will be decided. So, congressional accountability is front-and-center.

If you have not registered for LTS, it’s still not too late. Please link here to register.

NAPS Submits Comments to PRC on New Rate-Setting Proposal  

Today, NAPS submitted comments to the Postal Regulatory Commission concerning the Commission’s proposal to modify postage rates for market domain products. Generally, the PRC proposal would continue to use the consumer price index for urban consumers (CPI-U) as the basis for future rate adjustments. However, it would modify that adjustment by taking into account the reduction of mail per delivery point and the USPS obligation to prefund retiree health benefits. In addition, the USPS could earn enhance modest additional rate flexibility if it meets specified performance targets.

NAPS’  comments urged the PRC to replace the suffocating CPI-U index with a more appropriate index used to measure inflation within the delivery services industry. Over the past 13 years, the CPI-U increased by 3.9%, while the CPI for Delivery Services increased by 11.4%.

Join NAPS Members in Tuning into NAPS Chat  

NAPS Chat, the weekly NAPS-produced podcast, recently posted its 62^nd episode. Hosted by NAPS Director of Legislative and Political Affairs Bob Levi, guests appearing on the podcast have included NAPS’ resident officers, members of Congress, members of the Postal Regulatory Commission and USPS Board of Governors. You can subscribe to NAPS Chat on iTunes, Spotify, or Google Podcast; or you can go to the NAPS Website.