For many rural Missourians, it appears Congress’ struggle to reduce the federal deficit may have a major impact on their mail services.
The United States Postal Service is currently losing billions of dollars each year, and congressional lawmakers are in the process of considering legislation to address the financial hemorrhage of America’s postal system. In response to current suggestions the USPS close nearly 3,700 post offices, Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., announced a plan last week to keep post offices in rural Missouri open despite the proposed cuts.
According to a McCaskill news release, the ideas Congress is currently considering would close 167 post offices in Missouri, many of them in low-population, rural areas.
“Families and businesses in Missouri know that our post offices are more than just brick and mortar — postal service is a lifeblood for our communities,” the release stated. “There is a common sense plan to keep this vital service alive, especially in our rural towns. Folks across the state have made their voices heard, and I’m ready to go to bat for our rural communities.”
McCaskill is a member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, which administers the USPS.
In addition to closing the post offices, the USPS is also considering closing more than 250 mail processing facilities nationwide, ending Saturday mail delivery and ending overnight delivery standards for first-class mail, according to the release.
McCaskill unveiled her plan Feb. 6 in front of the Union Station post office in Kansas City.
The plan would include giving the Postal Regulatory Commission, an independent governmental agency that oversees the USPS, authority to keep post offices open if the USPS did not present alternative options for the closing of the office. It would also maintain six-day delivery, with a potential move to five-day if the Government Accountability Office determines it is the “only viable option for the USPS to achieve long-term fiscal sustainability,” according to the release.
McCaskill’s plan would also allow the USPS flexibility in providing retirement benefits by reducing the retirement health benefit pre-funding burden from about $5.5 billion to between $3 and $3.5 billion. John LaBombard, McCaskill’s press secretary, said no particular group would end up shouldering this reduced burden.
“The pre-funding requirement was set forth by 2006 legislation, before Claire was in the Senate and when mail volume was historically high,” LaBombard said. “This requirement is unique to any federally affiliated agency. In fact, less than one percent of Fortune 1000 companies in the U.S. do this on a voluntary basis.”
“No one will be hurt, the postal service can still meet its obligations at this reduced level,” he said.
LaBombard said McCaskill’s proposal should be debated in the Senate before long as a part of the larger USPS legislation.
“We expect legislation to be on the floor as early as the next several weeks,” he said. “Claire’s goal is to have the proposal included in the legislation by the sponsors.”
