The AUSPL Board of Directors recently joined AUSPL lobbyists Alan Suskey and David Jolly in Washington, DC, to meet with leaders in the House and Senate on postal reform. It was an “exciting” time in DC to say the least. Our trip happened to coincide with the end of the fiscal year and the government shutdown that occurred. Due to the shutdown, some offices were closed and we were unable to meet with lawmakers. However, many offices welcomed us and the opportunity to talk about postal reform. We heard from many of our elected officials that the mood in Congress has been much more accommodating this year as it pertains to postal reform. The House and Senate still have many disagreements to compromise on, but they seem to be working together in a more collegial fashion than ever before.

We were honored that Congressman Dennis Ross (R-FL), the main co-sponsor of the House’s Postal Reform Act, joined us for dinner with the board to discuss not only postal reform but the general issues facing Congress. Our discussion on the government shutdown and the underlying politics of the situation was fascinating! Congressman Ross relayed to us that he is still our biggest champion on the Hill and will work tirelessly to include some postal lessor friendly issues in the final House bill. He is also expected to be a member of the eventual conference committee, so our interests will have a voice in that process as well.

We now believe that the fiscal crisis and budget issues of the country will take up the remainder of the calendar year for Congress. The Senate has recently pulled back on a tentative hearing for their version of postal reform and that will delay the process somewhat. We see this as an opportunity to improve the bill, especially as it pertains to rural post offices. We will remain vigilant throughout the remainder of the calendar year, but we believe something moving in the first quarter of 2014 is now more likely.

We are excited about the months ahead and chances for comprehensive postal reform to finally pass during the 113th Congress. Please see below for a list of offices of Senators and Representatives we met with during our exciting trip to DC.

Senator Bob Corker (R-TN)
Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN)
Representative Steve Cohen (D-TN)
Representative Joe Kennedy III (D-MA)
Representative Lois Frankel (D-FL)
Representative Mike Coffman (R-CO)
Representative David Schweikert (R-AZ)
Representative Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA)
Representative Robert Aderholt (R-AZ)
Representative Peter DeFazio (D-OR)
Representative Frank Lucas (R-OK)
Representative Dave Loebsack (D-IA)
Representative Mike McIntyre (D-NC)