On April 12th, President Trump signed an Executive Order creating a Task Force on the United States Postal Service. The formation of the Task Force is the first official action signaling the White House is going to engage in postal operations. The Executive Order cites the fact that the Postal Service has been unable to meet its financial obligations and declining mail volume as the reason for creating the Task Force. The Executive Order directs the Task Force to report any proposed sweeping overhaul changes within 120 days.
The scope of the Task Force will be to build on recommendations to reform the Postal Service. The Task Force will take the following into consideration:
- Evaluating the operations and finances of USPS including:
- The expansion and pricing of the package delivery and USPS’s role in competitive markets.
- The decline in mail volume and its implications for USPS’s self-financing and monopoly over letter delivery and mailboxes.
- The definition of the ‘universal service obligation’ in light of changes in technology, e-commerce, marketing practices, and customer needs.
- USPS’s role in the U.S. economy and in rural areas, communities, and small towns.
- The state of USPS’s business model, workforce, operations, costs, and pricing.
- Providing administrative and legislative recommendations for reform.
- Submitting a report to the President summarizing its findings and recommendations.
The Secretary of Treasury will chair the Task Force, and will include the Director of OMB, the Director of OPM, and any other agency head the Chair may designate. The Task Force will consult with the Postmaster General and the Chairman of the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC), but it’s unclear to what extent the role either will play in shaping guidelines. If needed, the Task Force may also engage the Attorney General, the Secretary of Labor, and state, local, and tribal officials. Currently, there is no mention of any labor groups who represent the employees of the Postal Service having any input.
The NRLCA for years has remained committed to working with the House, Senate, and the White House to enact meaningful postal reform legislation. Currently, we are working with members and staff on both sides of the aisle in Congress to advance postal reform. The NRLCA firmly believes that any postal reform bill must promote innovation, create jobs, and continue to provide the essential services the American public has come to expect.
