As the Clock Ticks Towards Historic Default, Calls Intensify for House to End Delays on Postal Reform Bill

WASHINGTON – With only one week remaining until August 1, when the U.S. Postal Service is set to default on a $5.5 billion payment to the U.S. Department of Treasury, calls for House Leaders to end delays and bring a postal reform bill to the floor for a vote are intensifying. In the three months since the U.S. Senate passed its bipartisan bill to reform the U.S. Postal Service, the agency has lost over $2.2 billion, and it continues to bleed $25 million each day that Congress fails to finalize comprehensive reform legislation – an action that cannot occur until the House passes some version of a postal reform bill.

“Over the past few weeks, one thing has become abundantly clear: it’s well past time for House Leaders to follow through on past assurances to hold a vote on a postal reform bill,” said Sen. Carper. “Only one week from now, the Postal Service will default on a $5.5 billion payment to Treasury – further eroding the confidence of the millions of customers and businesses that rely on a healthy future for this vital mail service. On top of that, the Postal Service has already lost $2.2 billion since the Senate passed its bipartisan postal reform bill three months ago. I’m very disappointed in the House’s continued insistence on delaying a vote on postal reform while pushing through dozens of votes on highly political bills that will never become law. These tactics only heighten the uncertainty surrounding the future of this American institution and exacerbate the already severe financial crisis at the Postal Service. That’s why Members of Congress from both chambers and parties, as well as leading newspapers around the country, are continuing to call on House Leaders to stop punting and start voting on postal reform so that we can secure the future of the Postal Service for generations to come.”

You can follow the Postal Service’s record losses in real time on Sen. Carper’s website here.

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