Amid Worsening Mail Delays in Ohio and Across the Country, Rep. Brown Supports Passage of Postal Service Reform Act

WASHINGTON – Today, Representative Shontel M. Brown (OH-11) supported passage in the House of Representatives of the Postal Service Reform Act, bipartisan legislation to strengthen the financial viability of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) and improve the reliability of its service.

In 2020, the Postal Service incurred its fourteenth consecutive net annual loss, and experts predict that the USPS will run out of cash as soon as 2024. This is due in no small part to the undue burdens placed on the USPS, including the requirement that it fund 75 years of retiree benefits in advance and pre-fund the health care costs of its employees, regardless of whether they serve until retirement.

The USPS’s deteriorating financial condition threatens to lead to further reductions in services and prolong the mail delays that already impact Northeast Ohioans.

“Post offices are critical to our communities and to our county. Every day, Americans rely on the Postal Service to conduct business, get prescription medications, pay their bills, and receive their paychecks and social security checks,” said Rep. Brown. “Yet the Postal Service’s financial condition has been worsening over the last decade, leading to reduced services and unacceptable mail delays. The Postal Service Reform Act makes desperately needed improvements to the Postal Service so that it provides people with the service they expect and deserve. These reforms will support the future of the Postal Service, while ensuring Ohioans receive their mail and deliveries on time.”

Among its many provisions, the Postal Service Reform Act would:

• Ensure all future Postal Service retirees have access to quality health care through Medicare; 
• Eliminate the requirement that the Postal Service pre-fund retiree health benefits for all current and retired employees for 75 years in the future;
• Require the Postal Service to develop a public-facing, online dashboard with national and local level service performance data updated each week; and
• Require the Postal Service to deliver both mail and packages at least six days per week across an integrated network. 

For more information on the Postal Service Reform Act, click here.

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