Government affairs

Legislative Updates

Week in review March 23-27

The Administration and Congress is entirely focused on a response to the coronavirus pandemic. After the Senate approved it 96-0 on Wednesday, the House of Representatives cleared a third emergency legislative package, which has since been signed into law. Regarding USPS, the package will raise the agency’s borrowing authority from the U.S. Treasury by $10 billion. A fourth package is already being discussed with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi laying out her priorities to the press on Thursday.

When that 4th package is set to be introduced is unclear at this time, but the House of Representatives will remain in session through March 31. Following Senate passage of the 3rd package, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) cleared the chamber for recess through April 20, though he noted that Senators could be back in DC within 24-hours’ notice.

Congressional action

The massive $2.2 trillion response to coronavirus pandemic, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act (H.R. 748), was signed into law this evening and will provide aid and support to our nation’s healthcare system and workers, expand unemployment insurance, provide one-time cash payments of up to $1,200 per adult and $500 per child, and raise the USPS borrowing authority from the U.S. Treasury by $10 billion. This will raise the Postal Service’s liquidity for now, but also its indebtedness. This “relief” is not nearly enough.

“Congress will have no choice but to revisit relief of the Postal Service soon” said NALC President Fred Rolando. “The Covid-19 crisis is both a public health crisis and an economic crisis – and the U.S. Postal Service is a vitally important tool for combatting these twin calamities.” 

Read more on the postal measures of the bill here and other for other major issues here.

2020 election activity

In a postal-related matter, the House bill called for $4 billion in funding to make in-person voting safe and to expand vote by mail for this year’s remaining primaries and for the November 2020 general election. The election security measure also included a national requirement for both 15 days of early voting and the right vote by mail for every American voter.

So far, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico and Rhode Island have pushed back their presidential primaries, citing the outbreak. Alaska, Hawaii and Wyoming are switching to voting entirely by mail for their April contests. New York is considering delaying its election to June 23 while Wisconsin is planning to keep its April 7 date for its primary, but the governor has indicated he would like to send every voter an absentee ballot. Ohio and Georgia are also considering expanding vote by mail for their primaries.

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: 5 Senate (3 Democrats – 2 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: 292 (217 Democrats – 75 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: 57 (44 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.

H.R. 2474/S. 1306 – PRO Act
Status: Passed House of Representatives, introduced in Senate by Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA)
Co-sponsors: Senate 40 (39 Democrat, 1 Independent, 0 Republican)
House vote: 224 Yea (219 Democrats – 5 Republicans) – 194 Nays (186 Republicans – 1 Independent)

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

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