US Congress Appropriations Committee approves amendment to restore mail delivery standards

The US House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations yesterday (17 June) approved the Fiscal Year 2016 Financial Services Bill, and also voted 26-23 in favour of an amendment which seeks to “restore mail delivery standards to the July 1, 2012 level”. The amendment, introduced by Representative Chakah Fattah, would rescind the service standards which the US Postal Service (USPS) implemented on 5 January.

The move was welcomed by the American Postal Workers Union (APWU), whose President Mark Dimondstein said: “This is an important step forward for postal workers and our customers – large and small.

“If enacted, it will mean that management must restore overnight mail delivery within cities and towns, and that the 2- and 3-day delivery standards that were wiped out in January must be restored.”

However, Dimondstein added that yesterday’s vote was “the first step in a long process”. The full House must approve the Financial Services Appropriations bill, and the Senate also must approve a final appropriations bill.