Government affairs

Legislative Updates

Week in Review September 16-20

Since they returned from August Recess, lawmakers’ first priority has been to finalize appropriations for fiscal year 2020 (FY2020) ahead of the end of the fiscal year on September 30. Delays and disagreements have lead to a possible short-term spending deal while talks continue.

Congressional activity

On Thursday, the House passed a continuing resolution (CR) to provide temporary funding for the government until November 21 while negotiations continue on long-term funding for FY2020. The 301-123 tally saw strong bipartisan support, which is good news as the Senate is expected to take up the CR and pass it next week to avoid a shutdown. The deal means final funding for FY2020 will be pushed back to late November at the earliest, at which point lawmakers will be anxious to make deals lest they eat into their December holiday recess (at best) or cause yet another shutdown (at worst). Read more about it here.

Administration activity

Ahead of the third Extraordinary Congress of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) in Geneva on September 24-25, there have been suggestions from the White House that it could pull the U.S. from the organization if the treaty does not meet the demands of the Trump Administration. Efforts to withdraw from the UPU could have unintended negative consequences on American citizens and businesses and hurt the Postal Service financially, therefore To that end, NALC opposes any such efforts and President Rolando along with the heads of the APWU, NPMHU, and NRLCA have sent a letter (link here) to Congress requesting Members to urge the White House not to withdraw the U.S. from the UPU. Read more here.

NALC Priority Bills/Resolutions

H.R. 2382 – USPS Fairness Act
Status: Introduced by Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR)
Co-sponsors: 249 (211 Democrats – 38 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: 249 (200 Democrats – 49 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: 263 (223 Democrats – 40 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: 281 (214 Democrats – 67 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: 191 (166 Democrats – 25 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: 40 (29 Democrats – 11 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 208 (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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