Postal Service Reform Act of 2021

Floor Speech

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Mr. BACON. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3076, the Postal Service Reform Act.

The United States Postal Service has been part of our society since Benjamin Franklin was appointed the first Postmaster General in 1775. However, with the ever-advancing digital economy, the Postal Service's financial difficulties are well known in modern times.

This bill takes the necessary steps toward addressing the financial and operational issues facing the Postal Service and properly updates them for the 21st century. A first-class postal system is critical for businesses and our economy; it keeps 330 million Americans connected.

This bill also seeks to repair the Postal Service's unsustainable health and retirement benefits by coordinating an enrollment into Medicare. Under current law, the Postal Service is required to annually prepay future retirement health benefits, an obligation Congress does not require of most other public or private entities. The Postal Service is bound by statute into this unmanageable system while still being required to work like a private business.

Congress tied their hands. We created this problem, and now it has been returned to sender. The package will not stamp out all the Postal Service's problems overnight, but it is grounded in established practices and will help deliver first-class-level results worthy of the legacy of Ben Franklin.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. DeFazio), the distinguished chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

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