H.R. 3076 (117^th): Postal Service Reform Act of 2022

This position statement was submitted by United Postmasters and Managers of America on Feb 3, 2022.

February 1, 2022

The Honorable Carolyn Maloney Chairwoman Committee on Oversight and Reform United States House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515

The Honorable James Comer Ranking Member Committee on Oversight and Reform United States House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515

Dear Chairwoman Maloney and Ranking Member Comer, The United Postmasters and Managers of America (UPMA) represents 22,000 active and retired postmasters, supervisors, and managers at the United States Postal Service. Like USPS, our members live and work in every state and Congressional district. We write to enthusiastically and without reservation endorse HR 3076, the Postal Service Reform Act (PSRA). UPMA applauds you and the Committee for your bipartisan approach to postal reform during the 117th Congress. The issues facing the United States Postal Service and its employees have patiently waited for the action you are taking, and we are incredibly grateful for the efforts you've made to bring this legislation forward. It is not hyperbole to say that the USPS serves an irreplaceable role in our society, one as critical today as it was at the founding of our country. UPMA members help supervise the processing and delivery of, on average, a half-billion mail pieces every day to more than 162 million households and small, medium, and large businesses throughout the United States and its territories. Those numbers continue to grow. We are grateful that Congress is stepping up to deliver for us, putting forward common-sense reforms that we believe will sustain the postal services the country relies upon. The PRSA will put the USPS on the path to long-term success. The PRSA recognizes that our workforce is an asset and needs competitive pay and retirement benefits. The PRSA provides tools to enable delivery to the new addresses that come online every month. This bill addresses the unfair, outdated, and fiscally untenable prefunding mandate created by the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act (PAEA) of 2006, which required that the USPS pre-fund the entire sum of its future retiree health benefits. Congress imposed this requirement solely on the USPS, a burden not shared by any other Federal agency or private company. This requirement is the leading cause of the fiscal challenges faced by the USPS today. Without this requirement, the Postal Service would nearly break even or operate at a slight net loss, rather than experiencing the scale of losses in recent years. The Postal Service has called for further reforms, including integrating retiree health benefits with the Medicare program. UPMA has worked with Congress to address issues around Medicare integration and believes the policy reflects well on the needs of our members. During the past two years, our members have faced unforeseen challenges, and the USPS itself is receiving more attention than almost any time in history. The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed postal business and operations with rejuvenated package and parcel volumes and new demands for postal services, such as shipping COVID-19 test kits. Demand for postal services and the need for postal workers continue to grow. Throughout the history of the USPS, significant changes in how Americans live, work and communicate have not reduced their expectations of their Postal Service. The Service and the employees who have worked for the Service throughout its history have always managed change. From stagecoaches to planes to automated sorting and being "the last mile delivery" for many other shipping companies, the Postal Service has adapted to serve American businesses and consumers. Postmasters are incredibly proud of our performance throughout the pandemic, especially during the 2021 holiday mailing and package peak season. We remain committed to delivering and providing exceptional service to the American people. Postmasters serve at the front lines of addressing customer complaints about slowed mail, missing packages, and medications that don't arrive on time. These reduce customer satisfaction and confidence in the USPS – and may drive some to take their business elsewhere, a recipe for further economic challenges. The PRSA will help the USPS make changes to improve that level of satisfaction and confidence. Thank you for the opportunity to share our views. The United Postmasters and Managers of America strongly support the passage of HR 3076, the Postal Service Reform Act, into law. Sincerely,

Edmund A Carley National President United Postmasters and Managers of America 8 Herbert Street Alexandria, VA 22305 703-683-9027 217-899-9256 cell

This position statement was submitted by R Street Institute on Nov 20, 2021.

SpendingTracker.org estimates H.R. 3076 will save $759 million through 2031.