Congress on Tuesday passed long-sought after legislation meant to boost the financial condition of the US Postal Service and ensure mail delivery six days a week.
The much-needed overhaul elicited rare bipartisan support from both chambers – the Senate Tuesday, and the House last month. The bill now awaits the signature of President Joe Biden.
The Postal Service Reform Act would, among other things, lift unusual budget requirements that have contributed to the service’s financial woes.
The bill would also require the mail to be delivered six days a week, except in the case of federal holidays, natural disasters and a few other situations.
Officials have consistently warned that without congressional action, the Postal Service would run out of cash by 2024.
The Postal Service has suffered 14 straight years of losses – unable to generate enough revenue through postage sales and other services that were originally meant to sustain operations.
A major contributor to the service’s deficits have been growing workers’ compensation and benefit costs, coupled with a decline in mail volume.
The lead sponsor of the legislation, Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., said its passage would ensure the Postal Service can continue its nearly “250-year tradition of delivering service to the American people.”
Peters called the Postal Service “a vital part of the fabric of our nation.”
With Post wires