Government affairs

Legislative Updates

Week in Review (January 28 – February 1)

The House and Senate were in session this week and returned to regular early session business, such as continuing to organize its committees and subcommittees. With two weeks until the current continuing resolution (CR) funding around one fourth of the government expires, negotiations continue on a long-term deal. Next week, Congress will host the President for the State of the Union, which was delayed due to the shutdown.

Federal Employees

800,000 federal employees and even more federal contractors returned to work this week and while federal employees are beginning to receive back pay, it remains unclear if contractors will receive back pay. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that $8 billion in gross domestic product (GDP) was lost during the course of the shutdown.

Federal Employee News

On Wednesday, the House voted 259 to 161 to pass H.R. 790, a bill which would give civilian federal employees a 2.6 percent cost-of-living raise in 2019, matching what was allotted for military personnel in defense spending bills signed into law last year. Should this legislation be considered and pass the Senate, it would nullify an executive order from President Trump last year that froze pay for civilian workers. The vote was mostly party lines with all Democrats and 29 Republicans voting in favor. This legislation would not affect letter carriers.

NALC Priority Committees Take Shape

The Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs (HSGAC) and the House Committee on Oversight and Reform (OR), both of which have jurisdiction over the U.S. Postal Service among other agencies and duties, have announced their full membership and subcommittee membership for the 116th Congress. Read about the subcommittee membership for Senate HSGAC here and House OR here.

Resolutions

House Resolution 23 (H. Res. 23) – Door Delivery
Status: Introduced by Reps. Susan Davis (D-CA) and Peter King (R-NY)
Co-sponsors: 26 (16 Democrats – 10 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: 132 (114 Democrats – 18 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: 74 (64 Democrats – 10 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: 8 (5 Democrats – 3 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.

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