Call Our Senators & Sen. Mitch McConnell to Support the Postal Service Emergency Assistance Act

By MUUSJN on Thursday, July 9th, 2020

Call Michigan Senators

Sen. Gary Peters: 1-202-224-6221

Sen. Debbie Stabenow: 1-202-224-4822

& Sen. Mitch McConnell: 1- 202-224-2541

To Support the Postal Service Emergency Assistance Act

Tell Michigan Senators and Senator Mitch McConnell:

  1. The U.S. Post Office (USPS) delivers mail to every address in the United States at uniform rates. This includes life saving prescriptions and absentee ballots;
  2. Mail volume is down by a third due to the COVID-19 pandemic as businesses scale back their mailings. Without help from Congress, the USPS could run out of funding by September 2020;
  3. S. 4174, a bi-partisan bill sponsored by Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) , Sen. Steve Daines (R- MT), and Sen. Doug Jones (D-AL), would provide up to $25 billion for emergency COVID-19 expenses and losses up until September 2021;
  4. Urge Senators to approve the Postal Service Emergency Assistance Act (S. 4174).

THE US POST OFFICE, DUE TO COVID RELATED LOSSES AND EXPENSES,
Is In Danger of Running Out of Funds

Call Our Senators & Senator Mitch McConnell

Why the U.S. Post Service is an ESSENTIAL SERVICE:

  • Up until the COVID-19 crisis, the USPS has sustained itself on postage — without taxes;
  • Numerous polls show that the USPS is the most popular government agency;
  • It delivers mail to every address in the country at a uniform rate, unlike other services;
  • The USPS has a diverse workforce: 30% people of color; 40% women; and 18% veterans;
  • People rely on the U.S. Postal Service for life saving medications;
  • Destroying the USPS would throw hundreds of thousands of people onto unemployment;
  • Absentee voting, the safest way to vote in a COVID-19 pandemic, must be protected.

The USPS projects it will run out of funds by September 2020. The White House, which has long sought to privatize the USPS, has so far blocked financial relief for the Post Office. Private mail companies were supported in the CARES COVID-19 relief bill, but not the USPS. The U.S. House approved $25 billion for the USPS in the most recent HEROES relief bill. This funding hasn’t yet been approved by the Senate. A bi-partisan, stand alone relief bill was introduced on July 2nd.

Key Congressional leaders will need to approve S. 4174: Senator Mitch McConnell, Senator Chuck Schumer; Rep. Nancy Pelosi; and Rep. Kevin McCarthy. Click HERE for more information on this bill. Here’s a summary of other provisions of the Postal Service Emergency Relief Act:

  1. The US Postal Service would be required to prioritize the purchase of personal protective equipment and conduct additional cleaning and sanitizing of its facilities and its vehicles;
  2. The US Postal Service would be required to certify in quarterly and annual reports that the funds are needed for COVID-19 expenses or losses;
  3. Fix USPS funding provided for in the CARES Act so the USPS can access a $10 billion line of credit included in the previously approved CARES COVID-19 relief act;
  4. Require the Postmaster General and Board of Governors to submit a solvency plan to Congress on how to stabilize the USPS within nine months of passage of this bill.

Please call Michigan Senators and Sen. Mitch McConnell. See talking points earlier in this alert.

THANK YOU FOR TAKING ACTION!

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