Postal reform “unlikely” to pass US Congress before elections
Comprehensive postal reform is “unlikely” to pass the US Congress in the short time available this month, a leading Republican Congressman has said. In a letter written to the White House last week, which emerged today, House Oversight Committee chairman Darrell Issa called on President Obama to add an interim reform package to legislative proposals being pushed through Congress during the “lame duck” period between the November elections and the start of the next session of Congress in January.
Issa suggested Obama add the postal reform package to a continuing resolution that will seek to keep the federal government funded and operational for the first half of next year.
The House of Representatives, the chamber of Congress that has not passed a postal reform bill this year, is only operational until next week before being suspended ahead of the November elections.
Issa said the narrow time-frame meant even though negotiations over a full postal reform bill were ongoing, the proposal was unlikely to get through both sides of Congress this month.
“The post-election lame duck session will provide a much greater window of opportunity to enact legislation to restore the Postal Service to solvency,” said the Congressman from California.
Issa’s demands
Issa used his letter to urge the President to include three main postal reform measures in an interim reform package:
- A deferral of near-term USPS payments into its retiree health care benefits fund, to keep the Postal Service liquid,
- The addition of powers to allow USPS to immediately abandon Saturday deliveries to help it reduce operational costs
- And, a ban on federal agencies including USPS from agreeing labour deals with their workers that incorporate lay-off protections.
Shifting from six-day-a-week to five-day delivery frequency would save USPS $2.5bn per year, Issa said, citing Congressional Budget Office estimates.
Regarding his proposed scrapping of lay-off protections for federal workers, Issa said the government had to be able to change its employment levels in light of decreasing need.
Issa said the three measures he proposed would not fully restore USPS to solvency, but “comprise a meaningful step in that direction”.
USPS needs to cut more than $22bn in annual costs from its balance sheet over the next few years to restore financial sustainability, as it heads towards a $14bn annual loss this fiscal year (ending this month). Executives have said around half of the required cost-cutting needs Congress to reform US postal law to achieve.
For legislation to pass Congress, both the Senate and House must approve bills, which would then go to a committee to be merged, approved by both chambers and signed by the President. Only the Senate has passed a postal reform bill this year, with the Republican-led House unable to schedule a floor debate for Issa’s proposal.
Senator Tom Carper, the Democrat who has been pushing for the House to pass postal reforms all summer, said this afternoon that he believed the Senate and House could still come together to pass comprehensive postal reforms.
Although he said the Senate’s postal bill “isn’t perfect”, the Democrat from Delaware described Issa’s proposal for a continuing resolution in the lame duck session of Congress as merely a “short-term fix”.
“House Leaders need to stop looking for short-cuts and do their job, so we can reform and preserve the Postal Service for future generations,” said Carper.
I do not speak for anyone except myself, as an individual American Citizen, on the current onslaught of legislative proposals that attempt to correct (or destroy) the United States Postal Service. There are 6 things that can be done from within the USPS that can save a projected $12.4 Billion Dollars the very first year WITHOUT need for politicians running about causing trouble by cutting service, service days, or denying services to rural or “unprofitable” areas. Thereafter projected savings are $11.2 Billion Dollars per year as compared to a 6 year annualized SPLY. To put it clearly, it weeds out the lazy and any drug or alcohol addicted from the USPS and the streets of our community.
1. Yearly Physical Fitness Tests. All Postal Employees are expected to be able to carry 35 pounds in a satchel, and lift 70 pounds periodically. This is a basic minimum hiring requirement. Effective by the end of 2012, all Postal Employees, from the Postmaster General of the United States, to his staff, to all Postmasters, Supervisors, Clerks, Carriers, Support and Maintenance persons will be tested by being required to walk three miles around any local high school track in the nation, carrying a satchel with 35 pounds in it, and lift a 70 pound parcel of maximum shipping dimensions from the ground to a table every half mile.
a. This will be done on the employee’s own time at their own cost. It is to be supervised by medical personnel and a certified authority.
b. Failure to do so would be failure to meet the qualifications for employment.
c. This can be done during any of the yearly “Walk for Life” events in any part of the United States and Territories at no cost to the employee, while raising funds for a cure to Cancer.
d. This would also support the Anti-Obesity programs we have in America.
e. Failure during the test would allow one retest the following year before removal.
f. The employee would have a year to get into shape. Such an enforcement of existing regulations would drive those willingly unfit for duty, to retire, before even taking the first step on the track. Better health for employees would improve attendance, productivity, customer service, morale and public relations.
2. Restructure to Two Areas Nationally and only One District per state. No more than 100 Employees per Area and 100 Employees per District. No more than 100 Employees at HQ. Too much money is being siphoned away by the highest paid HQ, District and Area employees that do little during their 8 hour day. This money can immediately be recaptured. When this restructuring is announced, 30 days after the “Yearly Physical Fitness Tests” are announced, a great exodus of retirements will take place. Those who can retire, will. Those who can’t do the job, will get in shape or leave.
3. Eliminate all USPS HQ R&D/IT Facilities. Each District must have their own R&D/IT/ISSC/IBSSC as part of their district staff. I realize how many support and development empires there are in the USPS that are costing Billions. In national projects, a cooperative with existing personnel will produce the desired results.
4. Reinstate the USPSIS as the sole law enforcement agency. Legally, the USPS does not qualify for an OIG. OIG agents across the nation, waiting for work from their local Districts, being assigned little personal tasks from Operations Personnel that do not involve law enforcement, can be reassigned to other federal investigative agencies. USPS Law departments can be farmed out to contractual agencies. USPSIS can exist as it has before the introduction of OIG into the Postal Culture. OIG and Legal department employees have marketable skills that can be used elsewhere.
5. Postmasters, Managers, PCES, and all EAS personnel must carry mail for two weeks out of every 6 months. The true perspective and feel of our core business has been lost. The benefits and ideas that come from the front line have been lost as well. Knowledgeable links are necessary between the first mile, last mile, and administration of such. Local Offices will choose a route of the Letter Carrier’s choice, for each executive, near the executive’s home address. The duties will be performed during vacant periods, totaling two weeks, on the chosen route. This is not meant as a morale booster, though that will be one benefit. The ideas come from the field offices will be priceless.
6. Yearly Random Drug Tests. It may be surprising to employees to know that some drugs stay in the system for a very long time. It will be surprising to employers, how many of their employees do illegal drugs. ALL EMPLOYEES, to include PCES and EAS personnel will be required to submit to random drug testing each and every year to maintain employment. Advances in modern medicine have driven the prices of such drug testing kits very low. Considering that Postal Employees drive our roads where children are present, as a part of their daily duties, for many of them, it should be the concern of all employees that the public remain safe. The random drug testing will be administered according to a computer program that will determine, each morning, if and when an employee is required to submit to testing. This, coupled with the “Yearly Physical Fitness Tests” will help to improve safety and performance. Those who fail the drug test will be retested as per current regulations and removed from service if confirmed illegal drug use is determined.