Keep US Posted Calls on New Congress to Reform USPS

Following the U.S. Postal Service’s announcement of a $6.5 billion loss for fiscal year 2026, Keep US Posted, a nonprofit advocacy group of consumers, nonprofits, newspapers, greeting card publishers, magazines, catalogs and small businesses, urges lawmakers to prioritize critical reforms to stabilize USPS when the new Congress convenes in January. Since the launch of the 2021 Delivering for America plan, USPS has lost more than $35 billion — even with the passage of 2021 CARES Act, which provided $10 billion, and the Postal Service Reform Act of 2022, which resolved a massive $120 billion in liabilities. And although the stated intent of the 2022 reform law was to prevent the need for large rate increases, USPS raised prices seven times in five years at rates above inflation — a move that the Postal Regulatory Commission has said reduced mail volume and revenue.

“When the new Congress convenes, a top concern should be getting USPS back on a path to solvency — a priority that would serve every American, no matter their political leanings,” said former Congressman Kevin Yoder (R-Kans.), executive director of Keep US Posted. “USPS has delayed insolvency until 2031 only by suspending pension payments, but the threat remains and grows stronger by the day. Congress must act to increase accountability, incentivize productivity and increase regulatory oversight. Without that action, a devastating cash crisis is unavoidable. The answer should not be another blank check without actionable reforms. Otherwise, USPS could soon be headed for a massive taxpayer bailout.”

Yoder continued, “Excessive price increases and reduced service drive even more mail out of the system and further destabilize USPS. The lesson is clear: raising rates and borrowing more money are not a path to solvency without cost controls and productivity requirements. The new Congress must put USPS on a sustainable course and fix the institution that has connected Americans and sustained businesses for more than 250 years.”

Keep US Posted urges the new Congress to provide responsible financial relief by prioritizing the following provisions:

• ACCESSIBILITY: Preserve the Universal Service Obligation requiring six-day mail and package delivery to every address.
• AFFORDABILITY: Limit rate hikes to once per year and keep them affordable for small businesses and consumers. Re-establish the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rate cap, which was expanded in 2020. A CPI-based price cap for Market Dominant products would require USPS to improve efficiency and live within its means. Any service reductions must be required to provide guaranteed savings.
• ACCOUNTABILITY: Strengthen the PRC’s oversight with binding authority over service changes and a dedicated customer advocate to ensure USPS improves efficiency and cost discipline.

Source: Keep US Posted