In a letter sent to House leadership yesterday, seven members of Congress asked for increased funding for the USPS in the next piece of COVID-19 stimulus legislation. Reps. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), Gerald Connolly (D-VA), Stephen Lynch (D-MA), Brenda Lawrence (D-MI), Donald McEachin (D-VA), Andy Levin (D-MI), and Donna Shalala (D-FL) emphasized how critical the USPS is to the economy and how vital a role it plays during this crisis.
The request went beyond previous emergency legislation, asking for the following in addition to $25 billion in direct appropriations and debt relief:
- “Authorization of appropriations of up to $250 million per year to cover unfunded mandates, including the cost of paid parental and family leave;
- A requirement that postal employees enroll in Medicare, which would provide significant long-term reductions in retiree health care costs; and
- Allowing the Postal Service to conduct more non-postal business, particularly with state and local governments.”