At 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, the federal government is scheduled to shut down unless Congress and President Trump can reach an agreement to extend funding beyond September 30. While such a shutdown would disrupt many federal agencies and carry significant economic costs, it is important for rural carriers to know that Postal Service operations will continue uninterrupted.
The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) is not funded through annual congressional appropriations. Instead, it is sustained by the sale of postage, products, and services. This means that even during a government shutdown, rural carriers will still receive their paychecks and continue delivering their routes. Customers can expect business as usual.
As of this writing, a shutdown appears increasingly likely. Congressional Democrats are pushing for any funding bill to include an extension of subsidies under the Affordable Care Act, along with a reversal of Republican-led cuts to Medicaid and other health programs. Republicans, however, have resisted these demands, leaving negotiations at a standstill. Unless either side moves toward compromise, the government will close.
Regardless of any shutdown, USPS will continue delivering to America’s communities, and many essential government services are expected to remain in place. Social Security and Medicare payments will continue, participants in the Postal Service Health Benefits program will maintain their health coverage, and current retirees should keep receiving their annuity payments without interruption.
As the post office consistently runs in the red, what happens when the feds can’t transfer more money for operating expenses?