There was a ray of hope for the mailing industry this summer, when the House Oversight Committee unanimously approved H.R.5714 - Postal Service Reform Act of 2016, a bipartisan bill with support from leadership. But Congress took a long summer break, with the House recess ending on September 5, 2016.
Perhaps representatives would take action? Maybe even pass a reform bill before the election?
After all, there have been over 125 bills or resolutions with a direct impact on the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). Of course, 79 were just for naming – or renaming – post offices (apparently Congress takes Article III, Section 8 of the Constitution – “To establish Post Offices and post Roads” – very seriously). Another 18 resolutions were related to providing suggestions about stamps.
Of the 31 bills that focus on USPS reform or operational changes, only H.R. 5714 had been reported out of committee. And with bipartisan support.
Yet alas, it was not to be. On October 1, 2016, the House went back into recess until after the election. The lame duck Congress will return for 5 days in November, and then take another recess until the 28th. The current calendar lists December 18, 2016 as the “Target House Adjournment”.
With no action being taken by Congress, I thought I’d reach out to the presidential candidates from the major parties. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I’m an unenrolled voter – meaning I receive solicitations from both candidates. Since neither website mentions anything about the USPS, I completed the “Contact” form for both. Perhaps one of them could offer us hope.
I asked:
The print and mailing industry employees almost 8 million people in the United States, and contributes about $1 trillion dollars to the national economy. At the center of the industry is the US Postal Service.
H.R.5714 - Postal Service Reform Act of 2016, a bipartisan bill was reported out by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform by a unanimous vote on July 12, 2016. No action has taken place since that vote.
What is the candidate’s position on the issue of postal reform and H.R.5714?
Thank you.
Within minutes, I received a response from both camps.
Asking for a donation.
Since then, I’ve received several follow-up emails from the candidates. Asking for a donation.
Nothing about postal reform.
In 2006, the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act was passed after the elections. There’s still a possibility that a decade later, history may repeat itself.
Until then, please stand by.
