March 08, 2022

Senate Passes Manchin's Postal Service Reform Legislation

USPS reform bill will save federal government nearly $50 billion over 10 years

Washington, DC – Today, the U.S. Senate passed U.S. Senator Joe Manchin’s (D-WV) bipartisan, bicameral Postal Service Reform Act, which would provide critical reforms to the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). The legislation passed 79-19. 

“Getting our fiscal house in order is one of my top priorities and is essential to preparing future generations of Americans for success,” said Senator Manchin. “I am proud that the Senate passed the bipartisan, bicameral Postal Service Reform Act to address issues at USPS to better serve the American people while ensuring solvency for this irreplaceable service. West Virginians in rural communities depend on the Postal Service to deliver medicines and bills, support their small businesses and stay connected with friends and family. I look forward to President Biden signing this legislation into law and will work to implement these changes in West Virginia and America to bring USPS into the 21st Century.”

Major bill provisions:

  • Require future Postal Service retirees to enroll in Medicare through an integrated program, saving an estimated $22.7 billion over 10 years.
  • Eliminate the burdensome retiree healthcare prefunding requirement that was imposed by Congress in 2006, which would save an estimated $27 billion over 10 years.
  • Establish a public-facing online dashboard for transparency of national and local level service performance data for the Postal Service. Senator Manchin has been outspoken on the need for the USPS to address persistent mail delays that have harmed small businesses and West Virginians.
  • Codify 6-day a week service as a minimum requirement for delivery – which is critical in rural areas that might not receive service otherwise.  
  • Allow USPS to partner with State, Local, and Tribal Governments to offer non-postal services like registration for hunting and fishing licenses.

A timeline of Senator Manchin’s efforts to improve postal services can be found here.