PROVIDENCE, RI – As the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) shuts down businesses, halts important services, and causes revenues to plunge for organizations of all sizes, the U.S. Postmaster General is warning that the United States Postal Service (USPS) could become a casualty of the pandemic unless Congress steps in on a bipartisan basis to help it recover.

The Postal Service is authorized by the Constitution.  Today, it is one of many large organizations facing financial difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has caused a steep drop in mail deliveries and revenue.  During a recent video briefing for members of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, Postmaster General Megan J. Brennan testified that the independent agency is facing a potential “$13 billion revenue loss” this year and will “run out of cash” by the end of September if Congress fails to provide USPS, and the 630,000 Americans it employs -- including nearly 100,00 veterans -- with financial assistance.

U.S. Senator Jack Reed says the Postal Service provides a critical public service and that failing to help the USPS during this pandemic would cause serious financial pain for hundreds of thousands of workers and communities, consumers, and small businesses that rely on it for shipping and delivery services.

Reed teamed up with U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) and several colleagues in sending a letter to Senate leaders seeking full funding for the U.S. Postal Service in the next COVID-19 economic rescue package.  The Senators are also requesting the USPS be reimbursed for lost revenue, and forgiven a portion of its debt.  Without such action, the Senators warned, the USPS “may have to reduce or limit its services…as early as June.”

“We write to urge you to provide appropriate funding to the United States Postal Service (USPS) in the next coronavirus package that Congress takes up. The USPS plays a vital role in our country, and the outbreak of COVID-19 has only increased our reliance on the services it. Millions of American families depend on the USPS to receive their medicine, pay their bills, receive their social security benefits and remain in contact with loves ones. Our democracy relies on the USPS to help conduct an accurate census, disburse payments or tax returns, and an accessible way for citizens to vote. Even more, the USPS provides universal service at the lowest costs to consumers in the industrialized world,” the 14 Senators wrote.

In addition to Booker and Reed, the letter was also signed by U.S. Senators Robert Casey (D-PA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Christopher Coons (D-DE), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Edward Markey (D-MA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Patty Murray (D-WA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Brian Schatz (D-HI).

Unlike private delivery companies, the U.S. Postal Service is required by Congressional mandate to deliver to communities across the country, regardless of profit.  The post office helps connect communities, and eliminating USPS could harm those who depend on the post office to deliver their prescription drugs and other essential items, while privatizing it could cause costs to skyrocket for consumers and small businesses who depend on their local post office.

According to news reports, there was a bipartisan Congressional agreement to include a $13 billion direct grant to USPS in the $2.2 trillion CARES Act, but President Trump vowed he would not sign the bill if it contained this funding to help save the Postal Service.  So instead, an agreement was reached to include a $10 billion loan to help the USPS continue to serve Americans through the spring.

“Americans depend on the United States Postal Service to deliver for them, and Congress needs to deliver assistance to save hundreds of thousands of jobs and keep post offices open in communities nationwide.  Whether it is delivering the 2020 Census, $1,200 coronavirus relief checks, vote-by-mail ballots, or other important packages, the hardworking men and women of the U.S. Postal Service provide critical public services and we can’t allow them to become a casualty of this crisis,” said Senator Reed.  “The United States Postal Service traces its roots to its first postmaster general, Ben Franklin.  Since 1775, the post office has been there serving Americans and we’ve got to work together to ensure it can continue serving future generations.”

Text of the letter follows and can be found here.

April 7, 2020

The Honorable Mitch McConnell & The Honorable Charles Schumer

United States Senate

Washington, DC 20510

Dear Leader McConnell and Leader Schumer,

We write to urge you to provide appropriate funding to the United States Postal Service (USPS) in the next coronavirus package that Congress takes up. The USPS plays a vital role in our country, and the outbreak of COVID-19 has only increased our reliance on the services it. Millions of American families depend on the USPS to receive their medicine, pay their bills, receive their social security benefits and remain in contact with loves ones. Our democracy relies on the USPS to help conduct an accurate census, disburse payments or tax returns, and an accessible way for citizens to vote. Even more, the USPS provides universal service at the lowest costs to consumers in the industrialized world.

And yet, we fear that the USPS may not be available to the next generation of Americans.  Without additional resources, there is a possibility that USPS may have to reduce or limit its services or worse as early as June.  The absence of the USPS would put significant strain on our economy. The USPS helps facilitate $1.7 trillion in sales each year, supporting 7.3 million private sector workers, in addition to nearly 650,000 USPS employees. For some rural communities, which include roughly 40 million households, the absence of the USPS would be devastating; because of their remote locations, no private sector shipper would serve them.5 And, the absence of the USPS would jeopardize the health and safety of the one million Americans who receive their lifesaving medications through the USPS, many of whom are elderly and immunocompromised—without the USPS they may have to put themselves at greater risk of contracting potentially fatal diseases like the coronavirus.

During the third coronavirus package negotiations, House Democrats proposed investing $20 billion to reimburse the USPS for lost revenue and forgiving the USPS of its debt. We strongly urge you to include these important investments in the next coronavirus package. The future of the USPS, along with its nearly 650,000 employees and millions of consumers, are counting on it.

Sincerely,