Business Community Praises Postal Legislative Progress

Endorses the Postal Reform Act of 2013, HR 2748

WASHINGTON, July 23, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Coalition for a 21^st Century Postal Service (C21) which broadly represents the nation's $1.3 trillion business mailing and supplying community, that employs nearly 8 million private sector workers, announced its support today for H. R. 2748 introduced by House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa.

"The Coalition is particularly pleased that Chairman Issa has maintained the rate structure approved in 2006 which allows the Postal Service to increase rates at the class level by the Consumer Price Index without costly litigation.  This provision has enabled mailers to predict and plan for rate increases and has helped preserve business in a challenging market," said coalition co-manager Art Sackler.

"The Coalition is also encouraged that the Chairman incorporated in his bill several provisions supported by the Democratic Minority," Sackler continued.  "We hope that may signal a basis for bipartisan cooperation on this critical matter could emerge."

HR 2748 would make a number of helpful financial and structural changes to USPS that would broadly reform items such as pension and retiree health obligations, encourage more innovation in postal products, and provision of certain nonpostal services, modernize collective bargaining, apply federal reduction-in-force procedures prospectively, and provide for gradually raising the price of mail classes that are not paying their way.

"We believe there is much to work with here," Sackler added, "and encourage Chairman Issa, Ranking Democrat Elijah Cummings and their colleagues to move productive legislation forward."

The Coalition for a 21^st Century Postal Service consists of business mailing associations and companies – including magazines, newspapers, advertisers and catalogers, greeting cards, financial services, telecommunications, insurance and other statement mailers, high-tech businesses, small businesses of every kind – and their suppliers – paper, printing, technology, envelope manufacturing, mail services and other companies, who understand the essential role played by the U.S. Postal Service and want to see it sustained, reformed and strengthened to meet the demands of the future. 

SOURCE Coalition for a 21st Century Postal Service