Government affairs

Legislative Updates

Week in review (July 15-19)

While DC was melting from the humidity and the heat this week, lawmakers were on Capitol Hill working on a variety of different issues including healthcare, minimum wage, nominations, holding Attorney General William Barr and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross in contempt of Congress, and attempting to provide financial relief for 9/11 victims only to be held up by Sens. Rand Paul (R-KY) and Mike Lee (R-UT).

The House and Senate are working towards a deal to raise the debt ceiling and establish budget caps. Once an agreement is reached, Congress will turn its attention to an omnibus deal to fund the government through fiscal year 2020, once its back from August recess.

House activity

Next week on Tuesday July 23, letter carriers will participate in a national “Day of Action” to build support for H.R. 2382 – the ‘USPS Fairness Act,’ which would repeal the burdensome mandate that USPS pre-fund retiree health benefits. As of press, the bill sits at 180 cosponsors and NALC is urging all members to reach out to their lawmakers, Republican and Democrat alike, to reach a majority of support in the House (218) and demonstrate that this issue is important and has the support needed to pass on the House floor.

On Wednesday, the House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly to pass the ‘Middle Class Health Benefits Tax Repeal Act’ (H.R. 748), which would permanently repeal what is referred to as the ‘Cadillac tax.’ This repeal of a 40 percent excise tax on high-cost employer-provided health insurance passed the House 419-6 and now proceeds to the Senate where its future in unclear. Read more here.

On Thursday, the House voted 231-199 roughly down party lines to pass H.R. 582, which would gradually raise the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour over the next six years and then tie the wage floor to inflation in the subsequent years. The bill now proceeds to the Senate, where it is highly unlikely to pass as similar legislation has been dismissed by the Republican-controlled chamber. Read more here.

Senate activity

On Tuesday, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC) Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs and Federal Management held a hearing on five nominees to various positions, including Ashley Poling and Ann C. Fisher to be Commissioners at the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC). As letter carriers are aware, the PRC is the primary regulatory oversight body of the U.S. Postal Service and provides review and recommendations on rate changes, among many other duties. Read more about the hearing here.

NALC Priority Bills/Resolutions

H.R. 2382 – USPS Fairness Act
Status: Introduced by Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR)
Co-sponsors: 180 (151 Democrats – 29 Republicans)

To repeal the requirement that the United States Postal Service prepay future retirement benefits.

House Resolution 23 (H. Res. 23) – Door Delivery
Status: Introduced by Reps. Susan Davis (D-CA) and Peter King (R-NY)
Co-sponsors: 232 (188 Democrats – 44 Republicans)

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the United States Postal Service should take all appropriate measures to ensure the continuation of door delivery for all business and residential customers.

House Resolution 33 (H. Res. 33) – Anti-privatization
Status: Introduced by Reps. Stephen Lynch (D-MA) and Rodney Davis (R-IL)
Co-sponsors: 258 (219 Democrats – 39 Republicans)

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that Congress should take all appropriate measures to ensure that the United States Postal Service remains an independent establishment of the Federal Government and is not subject to privatization.

House Resolution 54 (H. Res. 54) – Six-day Delivery
Status: Introduced by Reps. Gerry Connolly (D-VA) and Sam Graves (R-MO)
Co-sponsors: 267 (204 Democrats – 63 Republicans)

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the United States Postal Service should take all appropriate measures to ensure the continuation of its six-day mail delivery service.

House Resolution 60 (H. Res. 60) – Service Standards
Status: Introduced by Rep. David McKinley (R-WV) and Marcy Kaptur (D-OH)
Co-sponsors: 184 (161 Democrats – 23 Republicans)

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the United States Postal Service should take all appropriate measures to restore service standards in effect as of July 1, 2012.

Senate Resolution 99 (S. Res. 99) – Anti-privatization
Status: Introduced by Sens. Gary Peters and Jerry Moran (R-KS)
Co-sponsors: 53 (43 Democrats – 8 Republicans – 2 Independents)

Expressing the sense of the Senate that Congress should take all appropriate measures to ensure that the United States Postal Service remains an independent establishment of the Federal Government and is not subject to privatization in whole or in part.

H.R. 2478 – Fed Retirement Fairness Act
Status: Introduced Reps. Derek Kilmer (D-WA) and Tom Cole (R-OK)
Co-sponsors: 35 (25 Democrats – 10 Republicans)

To provide certain federal employees the opportunity to make catch-up retirement contributions for time spent as temporary employees after Dec. 31, 1988, thus making such time creditable service under the Federal Employees Retirement System. Now applies to temporary postal employees, such as letter carriers who spent time as casuals, TEs, and CCAs.

H.R. 2474/S. 1306 – PRO Act
Status: Introduced by Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA) and Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA)
Co-sponsors: House 175 (All Democrats) – Senate 40 (39 Democrat, 1 Independent, 0 Republican)

To increase protections for workers’ right to organize and bargain for higher wages, better benefits, and safer working conditions.

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