Government affairs

Legislative Updates

Week in Review July 22-26

While the Senate remains in DC for one more week, the House is now on August Recess, which means they’re back in their respective districts for both vacation and home work periods. With Representatives back home, now is a great time to schedule an in-person meeting with them to discuss our priority issues. For instructions on how best to that, click here.

This last week saw a flurry of activity, which included passage of a number of key bills, advancement of postal-related nominees, and agreement to a deal on a two-year budget deal that lifts the debt ceiling.

House activity

This week the bipartisan USPS Fairness Act (H.R. 2382) hit 206 cosponsors. Since its introduction less than three months ago, letter carriers have done tremendous work educating lawmakers on the bill and the burdensome mandate that USPS pre-fund retiree health benefits it repeals. NALC is not aiming simply for a bipartisan majority (218 cosponsors) though, we’d like to see this bill exceed 300 cosponsors if possible. To that end, NALC is urging all letter carriers to reach out to their lawmakers to cosponsor the bill so that we may build as much support for it as possible.

On Thursday, the House passed a bipartisan two-year debt ceiling extension and budget deal (H.R. 3877). The legislation allows a $324 billion increase in discretionary spending over two years, averts cuts of about 10 percent to federal agencies, and provides necessary structure to the appropriations process between the House and Senate. The Senate is expected to advance this measure before they break for recess next week Friday. Read more about it here.

On Wednesday, the House passed H.R. 397, known as the “Rehabilitation for Multiemployer Pensions Act of 2019,” also known as the “Butch Lewis Act.” While this bill does not directly impact letter carriers, it would create a loan program to stabilize failing multiemployer plans in order to avoid a potential pension crisis and ensure the commitments made to retirees and workers will be met. Its passage marks an important win for the broader labor community and on Wednesday, Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) along with 25 Democratic colleagues and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) reintroduced an identical version in the Senate. Read more about it here.

Also on Wednesday, House Ways & Means Committee Ranking Member Kevin Brady (R-TX) introduced the bipartisan “Equal Treatment of Public Servants Act” (H.R. 3934), which would repeal the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and replace it with a formula equalizing benefits for certain individuals with non-covered employment. This bill has some notable changes to previous iterations, which NALC is currently reviewing and will provide more context as soon as possible.

Senate activity

On Wednesday, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC) held a business meeting on the nominations of Ashley Poling and Ann C. Fisher to be Commissioners at the Postal Board of Governors (PRC), and Robert Duncan for his second term on the Postal Board of Governors (BOG), among other business. All three nominees were reported favorably and the next step for their nominations will be full Senate consideration. Read more here.

NALC Priority Bills/Resolutions

H.R. 2382 – USPS Fairness Act
Status: Introduced by Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR)
Co-sponsors: 206 (176 Democrats – 30 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: 237 (192 Democrats – 45 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: 259 (220 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: 271 (207 Democrats – 64 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: 186 (163 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 186 (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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