Darrell Issa advances his Postal Destruction Bill out of Committee

---

“If it is enacted, this bill will lead to the demise of the Postal Service.”  -Cliff Guffey, American Postal Workers Union President

---

Corporate Coalition Endorses Issa's Bill

FedEx, Pitney-Bowes and the National Association of Advertising Distributors are among the 37 corporations and trade associations that make up the Coalition for a 21st Century Postal Service. In their own words, "the Coalition broadly represents the $1.3 trillion industry, mailers and their suppliers, employing 7.8 million private sector workers, which relies upon USPS."

Issa satisfied the corporate "vital concern" by maintaining the CPI-based indexed ratesetting system.  Unlike first-class mail which covers "attributable costs" by 202 per cent, the Postal Service lost 1.5 billion dollars last year on periodicals and standard mail flats. That $1.5 billion is over sixty per cent of the Postal Service's operating loss in FY 2012.

Right wing trifecta: Degrade Services, Attack Unions, Push Privatization

In a jarring example of the ascendancy of corporations and decline of democratic government, on Wednesday, July 24, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee voted along party lines to approve a postal bill introduced by Rep. Darrell Issa. All 22 Republicans on the Committee voted to advance the bill while all 17 Democrats on the Committee voted against the extreme proposal.

This bill would spell disaster for the Postal Service and customers who rely on it. H.R. 2748 would close post offices, stations and branches; consolidate plants; privatize operations, and degrade service standards. It also would harm workers by prohibiting postal unions and management from negotiating protection against layoffs; increasing health insurance costs, and limiting collective bargaining rights.

Deprive Customers of Vital Services

• Impose a two- to three-day delivery standard for first-class mail;
  
• Close post offices, stations and branches;
  
• Consolidate plants;
  
• Reduce door delivery and end Saturday letter delivery.

Punish Workers

• Prohibit postal unions and management from negotiating protection against layoffs;
  
• Increase health insurance costs for employees;
  
• Limit workers’ collective bargaining rights;
  
• Reduce compensation for injured workers with dependents and force them to retire.

Privatize Operations

• Establish “competition advocates” to promote contracting out;
  
• Prohibit customers from appealing decisions to close post offices, stations or branches if a “contract postal unit” is opened within two miles;
  
• Establish a “temporary governance authority” whose broad powers would end only after the USPS achieves two consecutive years of profitability.

---

Some House Bills that protect the USPS and serve the common good

• Postal Service Protection Act of 2013: S.316 in the Senate and HR.630 in the House. The Sanders-DeFazio offers true comprehensive postal reform. It's co-sponsored by 165 members of the House and by 28 Senators.
• Postal Service Stabilization Act of 2013: HR.961 was introduced by Stephen Lynch (D-MA) and addresses pension overpayments by the USPS to the Federal Employees Retirement System. The bill is co-sponsored by 133 members of the House.
• Protect Overnight Delivery Act: HR.2459 was introduced by Rosa DeLauro (D-CT). The bill directs the Postal Service to restore the December 31, 2011, delivery standards. The bill is co-sponsored by 73 members of the House.

Darrell Issa's bill has two co-sponsors in the House: Blake Farenthold (R-TX) and Dennis Ross (R-FL).