Area Democrats rally in support of U.S. Postal Service

In light of threats to dismantle the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) as we know it, a handful of Democrats in Clinton County partook in a nationwide rally to support the federal mail system on Thursday, March 20. They were stationed at the Mill Hall Borough Post Office before heading to the Lock Haven Post Office.

The local event was part of a national “Day of Action” that was organized by the American Postal Workers Union (APWU), which represents the individuals who work through holidays and bad weather to deliver your personal mail.

APWU said, “The Postal Service is facing one of the most serious threats in our history. Reports indicate that the new presidential administration is preparing an illegal and hostile takeover of the USPS, threatening the stability of our jobs, our workplaces, and the public service we proudly provide. The American people deserve a Postal Service that remains true to its public mission and continues to serve communities across the country, no matter where you live.”

“The rally was intended to show postal workers and our community that we stand together, and we believe the postal service belongs in the hands of the people, not billionaires. The U.S. Mail is Not For Sale,” said Bre Brannan, chair of the Clinton County Democratic Committee (CCDC). “Thank you to our dedicated members for rallying for the USPS! We had a lot of waves and honks from passersby! And just like our postal workers, we stood in the rain because ‘neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds!'”

WHY NOW?

The Republican administration said earlier this year that it is considering a “merger” for the mail service, which could lead to the firing of the USPS board and its absorption into the Department of Commerce. In February, Democrats on the House Oversight Committee called on this Administration to abandon its plans.

WHY IS THE USPS A PRIORITY?

Republicans want to help privatize the mail, which will create less competition in the market for private companies, who will then be able to raise rates with little option for the consumer. Efforts to dismantle the USPS will undermine the affordability and reliability of the postal system, particularly if it is privatized or no longer operated independently and with the same mission to serve all households in America. This could jeopardize or raise costs for those who receive regular mail, including medications, in rural communities.

WHY HAS THE USPS NOT BEEN PROFITABLE LATELY?

Republicans manufactured a problem.

While the USPS has been called the world’s most efficient carrier by some, it has had budget issues due in large part to legislation passed in 2006 that mandated the agency prefund retiree health costs and limited the Postal Service’s ability to change prices or offer new services. The Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006, which was introduced and passed by a Republican Congress, and signed into law by George Bush, prevented the USPS from turning a profit and led to it operating with billions of dollars of debt. The Act also instituted a burden that no other federal agency or private mail carrier implements, manufacturing a failure.

In 2022, the U.S. Senate passed the Postal Service Reform Act, which dropped the previous mandate forcing the USPS to cover its health care costs years in advance and requiring retired employees to enroll in Medicare, if eligible. The House Oversight Committee estimated those two provisions would save USPS nearly $50 billion over the next decade.

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