The House on Tuesday miraculously passed a bipartisan bill to overhaul the finances of the United States Postal Service.
The Postal Service Reform Act — which cleared the House by 342-92 — would require retired postal employees to enroll in Medicare when eligible, while dropping a previous mandate that forced the agency to cover its health care costs years in advance. Those two measures would save the USPS nearly $50 billion over the next decade, according to the House Oversight Committee.
Louis DeJoy, the postmaster general, called the bill “long overdue legislation.” DeJoy said the dire financial condition of the USPS has inhibited the agency from modernizing its services, including replacing its aging fleet with electric vehicles.
The panel’s Republican ranking member, Rep. James Comer of Kentucky, added that the measure “bolsters operational efficiencies, helps cement Postmaster General DeJoy’s reform plan, provides key oversight tools to enhance transparency, and ensures the six-day delivery of mail and packages for all Americans.”
The bill also stipulates that the USPS publish delivery data that customers could search using a street address, ZIP code or post office box, and maintain delivery six days a week.
A companion bill in the Senate also has bipartisan support that includes more than a dozen Republican co-sponsors. Senate Majority Leader Schumer said he expects to take up the bill in the coming weeks, and the White House has signaled support for the measure.
