Letter to the Hon. Jovita Carranza, Administrator to the US Small Business Administration - Rep. Cisneros Fights for Postal Service on Behalf of America's Struggling Small Businesses

Letter

Dear Administrator Carranza:

Thank you for your commitment to providing our nation's small businesses with the support and funding they need throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. During this time of economic turmoil, as the American people increasingly turn to online retailers, small businesses and consumers are relying more than ever on the essential services provided by the United States Postal Service (USPS). In light of the severe financial challenges that the Postal Service is facing, we write to share our deep concern that any reduction in services or move to privatize the Postal Service will negatively affect the businesses that SBA serves every day. We therefore urge you to publicly affirm and personally convey to the President the importance of support for USPS to America's small businesses and our struggling Main Street economy.

The Postal Service is a vital public resource, handling nearly half of the world's mail. USPS allows small businesses to access reliable flat rate shipping to every address in the country, including many rural communities that could be shut out of a privatized service. Without the Postal Service, small businesses that are already increasingly reliant on e-ecommerce to stay afloat would not only see higher overhead costs but could lose customers as well. And as the public grows to expect cheap and efficient shipping, entrepreneurs need USPS more than ever in order to compete in the global marketplace.

Unfortunately, the Postal Service's future is extremely uncertain. During recent testimony to Congress, Postmaster General Megan Brennan stated that, without congressional intervention, the Postal Service could run out of funds by the end of September 2020. Because the Postal Service is the largest delivery service and the only mail carrier that guarantees delivery to every address in America, we are deeply concerned about how the Postal Service's dire financial condition may negatively impact the small businesses that anchor the American economy, many of which are already struggling to survive. Again, given the potential negative impact of a reduction in USPS service on small business, we strongly urge you to issue a public statement and to share these concerns with the President and other decision-makers in the Administration.

Thank you for your urgent attention to this issue. We strongly believe that protecting the long-term financial health of the Postal Service is vital to the recovery of American small businesses. We look forward to continuing to work with you to support our Main Street economy at this difficult moment in our nation's history.