The Passing of the Two Bipartisan Bills and How They Would Help the USPS Financial Situation

Amid much back-patting and self-congratulation, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee favorably reported two bills that would make several reforms to the U.S. Postal Service.

The Postal Service Reform Act of 2016 (Opens as a PDF) would ease the ailing agency’s financial burdens by addressing its unfunded liabilities, which the GAO estimated (Opens as a PDF) to be $78.9 billion at the end of 2015. It would encourage flexibility and innovation in products and delivery methods, keeping prices affordable while hopefully cutting costs and boosting revenue.

It also would require Postal Service retirees who have paid into Medicare to be enrolled in Medicare in order to remain eligible for federal health insurance.

The National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association opposed the bill primarily over this issue.