Government affairs

Legislative Updates

Week in Review: June 15-19

House and Senate Activity

Even though only the Senate was in Washington this week, both chambers worked on a wide-range of issues. The Senate focused primarily on a massive public-lands bill and nominations. Members of the House of Representatives remained in their districts, but with remote Committee-level operations, conducted over 15 virtual hearings related to Covid-19. In addition, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee was able to remotely advance a massive surface transportation and infrastructure bill out of Committee and expect to bring that bill to the floor by the end of June.

Both chambers continued charting a course over FY 2021 Appropriations process and fine-tuning policing reform bills. Both issues are being raised simultaneously creating contention among both parties in both chambers.

Next week, both the House and Senate will be back in Washington and are expected to continue the conversation on the two most pressing issues facing our country: policing reform and the next Covid-19-related relief package. Both chambers will be here until the fourth of July and won’t return until the 3rd week of July, giving themselves very little time until their inevitable August recess and the lead-in to the November elections where legislating comes to a halt.

Postal Activity

On Thursday, the Senate confirmed Lee Moak and William Zollars to serve in the Postal Board of Governors. The two governors join the new Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, who began on Monday (read more).

New leadership at the Postal Service will undoubtedly have an impact on how and if Congress and the White House choose to provide financial relief to the Postal Service to weather the Covid-19 pandemic. For an update on how those negotiations are going, click here.

NALC Priority Bills/Resolutions

H.R. 2382/S. 2965 – USPS Fairness Act
Status: Passed House of Representatives, introduced in Senate by Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT)
Co-sponsors: 7 Senate (4 Democrats – 3 Republicans)
House vote: 309 Yea (222 Democrats – 87 Republicans) – 106 Nays (105 Republicans – 1 Independent)

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: 261 (207 Democrats – 54 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: 267 (226 Democrats – 41 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: 293 (217 Democrats – 76 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: 206 (180 Democrats – 26 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: 54 (44 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 by Reps. Derek Kilmer (D-WA) and Tom Cole (R-OK)
Co-sponsors: 58 (45 Democrats – 13 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.

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