Postal Reform Bill Delayed in Senate; PRINTING United Alliance Urges Action

On February 9, PRINTING United Alliance applauded the US House for passing H.R. 3076, the Postal Service Reform Act. The legislation supports the mailing delivery system which is so critical to the printing and packaging manufacturing industry.

The US Senate had been scheduled to hold an initial vote on Monday, February 14. But Senator Rick Scott (R-Fla.), the chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, objected to a unanimous consent request from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) to make a technical fix to the bill. As a result, the planned vote to advance H.R. 3076 has encountered a delay.

Because the Senate will be taking a one-week break beginning Friday, February 18, the earliest the bill could be taken up is Monday, February 28 when the Senate reconvenes, or its consideration could be delayed until next month. It’s not clear as to when a final passage vote will take place. If the Senate version of the bill, S. 1720 passes, the two acts would be combined through a reconciliation process before heading to the White House for final approval.

“We will continue to advocate for the swift passage of this critical legislation which enjoys bipartisan support and authorship,” says Ford Bowers, CEO, PRINTING United Alliance. “We are pleased to collaborate with the Keep US Posted public affairs campaign and other likeminded associations to promote the value of a robust mail delivery system, and we look forward to an eventual favorable outcome in the Senate, ensuring the Postal Service’s long-term success.”

Postal reform would save nearly $50 billion in the next decade. The act would repeal a requirement that the USPS annually prepay future retirement health benefits, a 2006 regulation that does not apply to private corporations and makes it difficult for USPS to compete in open markets. Instead, USPS employees and retirees would obtain their medical coverage through Medicare and a new health benefits program established by the federal Office of Personnel Management.

In other initiatives, the bill would allow the USPS to begin generating income by providing “certain non-postal products and services” through agreements with state and local governments.

Other key provisions include integrated delivery of both packages and mail, a six-day per week delivery schedule, and a transparency tool that would display data on national and local level service to track delivery times.

Get Involved

PRINTING United Alliance will continue to share the latest news and updates as we work to move the needle on legislative efforts critical to the mailing economy and printing industry at large.

Here are some ways you can help:

• If you are a Florida constituent, please urge Sen. Rick Scott to release the hold on H.R. 3076, the Postal Service Reform Act. Share Your Opinion with Sen. Scott Additionally, please let Sen. Marco Rubio know how important the postal reform bill is to you and all Floridians. Share Your Opinion with Sen. Rubio

• PRINTING United Alliance encourages you to send a message to your Senators urging them to vote in favor of S. 1720. Take action today!

• Follow the latest Keep US Posted initiatives by visiting KeepUSPosted.org and clicking “Get Involved” to join the campaign as an individual. If your organization is interested in joining Keep US Posted, visit keepusposted.org/join and complete the form. Additionally, the Alliance invites everyone to follow campaign developments on the Keep US Posted Facebook and Twitter accounts.

Stephanie Buka is the Government Affairs Coordinator at PRINTING United Alliance, the most comprehensive member-based printing and graphic arts association in the United States, comprised of the vast communities which it represents. The Alliance serves industry professionals across market segments with pertinent education, training, workshops, events, research, government and legislative representation, safety, and environmental sustainability guidance, as well as resources from the leading media company in the industry – NAPCO Media. Now a division of PRINTING United Alliance, Ideallianceis the global leader in standards training and certification for printing and graphic arts operations across the entire industry supply chain.

In this article, Stephanie addresses postal reform legislation. More information about postal reform can be found at Business Excellence-Legislation or reach out to Stephanie should you have additional questions specific to how these issues may affect your business: sbuka@printing.org 

To become a member of PRINTING United Alliance and learn more about how PRINTING United Alliance subject matter experts can assist your company with services and resources such as those mentioned in this article, please contact the Alliance membership team: 888-385-3588 / membership@printing.org.