We are working with House members of Congress on pending postal legislation that we believe will benefit the leasing program and AUSPL members. The Senate bill will likely see some substantive changes when it is taken up in committee. The Senate bill is expected to focus on labor issues, though rural post office protection will likely also come up. There are key members of Congress who support rural post offices, and they are building support for these facilities. At this point, neither bill is likely to completely prevent USPS from closing postal facilities, but Congress agrees the postal leasing program is beneficial to USPS.
Currently, we are working with staff in both the House and Senate on three amendment ideas:
1) “Sense of Congress” in which Congress states its position that the leasing program is a valuable, cost-effective program and should be considered as USPS moves to consolidate delivery options. Staff is aware that the most cost-efficient way to deliver mail is at a post office facility.
2) Emergency Suspensions. USPS is using emergency suspensions to close post offices outside the traditional closure process. We would like Congress to include stronger prohibitions and establish a process for those suspensions, thus giving lessors better leverage when such suspensions occur.
3) We are seeking to reduce the number of potential closures of rural post offices and provide steps in the process that would help small towns and communities, along with lessors fight such closures.
Representative Dennis Ross (R-FL), was our “2013 Champion of Lessors,” and we continue to work with him. He has an excellent understanding of the leasing program, has helped us tremendously and is committed to helping this Congress as pending legislation moves through Congress.
We will be visiting Senate and House lawmakers in October and will report on those meetings soon.