11/13/18

United Postmasters and Managers of America Legislative Team

With the Democrats leading the House in the next Congress and the Senate remaining in Republican hands, UPMA has expanded our legislative and political engagement by bringing on a bipartisan team of government relations professionals. With the departure of Bob Levi, UPMA has partnered with two firms, The Eris Group and Imperium Global Advisors, to help UPMA and our members navigate public policy and political affairs in Washington, DC. Continue Reading

09/20/18

Senator McCaskill Introduces Anti-Privatization Resolution in Senate

On Tuesday evening, Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) introduced S.Res. 633, a Senate resolution to ensure that the U.S. Postal Service remains a governmental service and is not subject to privatization. Continue Reading

09/18/18

Senate Passes Bill to Reduce Opioid Transport Through International Mail

Last night, the Senate passed H.R. 6, the Opioid Crisis Response Act of 2018 that includes the so-called STOP Act, which strives to prevent the inbound transport of opioids through international mail, requires that electronic manifests be created for inbound U.S. mail shipments and would levy civil fines against the Postal Service for noncompliance. Continue Reading

09/12/18

Congressional Resolution Opposing Postal Privatization Gains Steam

The House of Representatives' resolution that opposes White House efforts to privatize the U.S. Postal Service (H.Res. 993) has gained momentum. The Presidential Task Force on the Postal System report will likely not be unveiled until after the 2018 congressional elections. Continue Reading

08/29/18

Senate Confirms Two Board of Governors; President Nominates Two More

Yesterday, the U.S. Senate confirmed Robert Duncan and David Williams as members of the Postal Service Board of Governors by voice vote. In addition, President Trump nominated Ron Bloom and Roman Martinez IV to the Board of Governors. Continue Reading

08/27/18

UPMA Pays Tribute to Sen. John S. McCain

Sen. John McCain was a military hero and a passionate and courageous legislator who ably represented his beloved state of Arizona, and sought legislative consensus in the pursuit of making our country and this world a better place Continue Reading

08/22/18

House Anti-Privatization Resolution Picks Up Support; Status of Presidential Postal Task Force Report Unknown

H.Res. 993 picked up significant support during the August recess and there is uncertainly about the status of Presidential Task Force on the Postal System. Continue Reading

08/02/18

Senate Fails to Hold Vote on Heitkamp-Moran Postal Amendment

The Senate failed to vote on an amendment to a Senate appropriations bill that would have prohibited the use of appropriated funds from undermining universal postal services or moving forward with efforts to privatize the Postal Service. Continue Reading

07/25/18

Senate Likely to Vote on Bipartisan Anti-Postal Privatization Amendment Tommorrow, July 26

Sen. Heitkamp (D-ND) filed an amendment to a pending appropriations bill the would preclude the White House from undermining universal postal services or moving forward with efforts to privatize the federal agency. Continue Reading

07/16/18

Bipartisan House Resolution Introduced Opposing Postal Privatization

Representatives Steve Lynch (D-MA) and Rodney Davis (R-IL) introduced H.Res. 993, a resolution expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the U.S. Postal Service should remain a government entity and not be subjected to privatization. Continue Reading

06/27/18

White House Official Under Fire About USPS Privatization at Congressional Hearing

On Wednesday, June 27, the Deputy Director of the White House Office of Management and Budget came under fire by members of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, regarding the White House proposal to privatize the U.S. Postal Service. Continue Reading

06/21/18

President Trump Proposes Postal Privatization

Today, President Donald Trump proposed to restructure the United States Postal Service, converting it "from a Government agency into a privately-held corporation." Continue Reading

06/15/18

New Postal Bills Percolating in Congress

Congress is considering four new bills that impact the Postal Service, one is the reintroduction of H.R. 756, the Postal Reform Act. Continue Reading

05/10/18

Office of Personnel Managment Proposes Retirement Cuts and Senate Panel Approves Two USPS Board Of Govenor Nominees

The White House Office of Personnel Management (OPM) proposed $143.5 billion in cuts to federal-postal retirement programs, and the Senate Committee Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee approves two nominees to USPS Board of Governors. Continue Reading

04/13/18

President Trump Signs Executive Order Creating Postal Task Force

Last night (4/12/2018), President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order that establishes a White House Task Force on the Postal Service. According to the order, the Task Force is instructed " to evaluate the operations and finances of the USPS." Continue Reading

03/26/18

President Signs Into Law FY 2018 Budget Bill -- No Postal or Benefit Hits

On Friday, March 23, as Congress was leaving the Capitol for its two-week Easter/Passover Recess, President Trump signed into law H.R. 1626, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2018. This legislation funds the government through the end of the current fiscal year. Continue Reading

03/23/18

Senate Postal Bill (S. 2629) Introduced

Yesterday, March 22, Senators Tom Carper (D-DE), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) and Claire McCaskill (D-MO) introduced S. 2629, the Postal Reform Act of 2018. The legislation is the Senate version of HR 756, the House postal reform bill, which was approved by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee last year. S. 2629 shares most of the core provisions of H.R. 756; however, there are a number of noteworthy differences. Continue Reading

02/12/18

White House FY 2019 Budget Hits Postal Employees and Retirees

Today, President Donald Trump submitted his $4.4 trillion fiscal year 2019 budget to Congress, which slashes over $155 billion from benefits upon which active and retired postal and federal employee rely. Continue Reading

12/02/17

PRC Finds Current Rate System Fails to Meet Objectives and Proposes Alternative

On December 1, the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) concluded that the postage rate-setting system created in the 2006 Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act has failed to maintain the financial health of the USPS as intended in the law, has weakened the high quality service standards and has not increased pricing efficiency. As a result, the PRC proposed changes in the way postage rates will be adjusted, in the future, to improve the USPS finances and operations. Continue Reading

10/30/17

President Trump Nominates Three to USPS Board of Governors

On October 26, President Donald Trump made three nomination to the U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors. Continue Reading