We have been educating Members of Congress about the benefits of the postal leasing program to the Postal Service. Today, we have legislative champions in both the House and Senate who we can count on to be sympathetic to our causes and issues. We will continue to work diligently with legislators and ask them to consider the following as Congress moves forward on a plan for comprehensive reform:
• Leased facilities have been an economic benefit to the USPS and language should be considered recognizing retail post offices as an alternative in delivery point consolidations.
• The cost to lease is insignificant to the overall cost of USPS operations, and thus closing retail post offices is not the solution to righting the financial health of the USPS.
• Emergency Suspensions should only be allowed for legitimate health and safety reasons. Failure to negotiate a lease renewal is not cause for emergency suspension. The USPS has the right to move into another building if they cannot negotiate a Fair Market rent.
• Lessors have a stake in the Postal Service and are willing to work with the USPS to bring in new sources of revenue.
To read the summaries of the pending Senate and House postal reform bills from the US Government Library of Congress website with opinions expressed by AUSPL President Morgan Wolaver, click on the links below.
HR2748 Postal Reform Act Summary
To read the section-by-section summaries of the Senate and House bills provided by Alan Suskey of Capitol Insight, click on the links below.