"The Postal Service needs America's help, and we must answer this call," Reps. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) and Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) said in a statement Monday. (Photo: hobvias sudoneighm/flickr/cc)
Mar 24, 2020
Democratic lawmakers said late Monday that the U.S. Postal Service is poised to be a casualty of the coronavirus pandemic and could collapse by summer's end barring an infusion of billions of dollars in federal aid.
The warning came in a joint statement from House Oversight Committee Chairwoman Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) and Government Operations Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) that cited "urgent help" needed by the agency as it faces plummeting mail volume and "imminent bankruptcy."
Maloney and Connolly pointed to measures intended to help the Postal Service contained within the House's new coronavirus stimulus package--the Take Responsibility for Workers and Families Act--which was unveiled Monday.
The bill (pdf) contains provisions that would cancel the Postal Service's debt, allow it to borrow up to $15 billion, and inject it with $25 billion in emergency funding "for revenue forgone due to the coronavirus pandemic."
"Based on a number of briefings and warnings this week about a critical fall-off in mail across the country, it has become clear that the Postal Service will not survive the summer without immediate help from Congress and the White House," said Maloney and Connolly.
The critical services provided by the agency have been underscored amid the developing outbreak, with postal workers delivering ballots for recent elections and bringing medical supplies to those following public health recommendations to stay home.
"Every community in America relies on the Postal Service to deliver vital goods and services, including life-saving medications," added Maloney and Connolly. "The Postal Service needs America's help, and we must answer this call."
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, The U.S. is on a fast track to authoritarianism like nothing I've ever seen. Meanwhile, corporate news outlets are utterly capitulating to Trump, twisting their coverage to avoid drawing his ire while lining up to stuff cash in his pockets. That's why I believe that Common Dreams is doing the best and most consequential reporting that we've ever done. Our small but mighty team is a progressive reporting powerhouse, covering the news every day that the corporate media never will. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. And to ignite change for the common good. Now here's the key piece that I want all our readers to understand: None of this would be possible without your financial support. That's not just some fundraising cliche. It's the absolute and literal truth. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. The final deadline for our crucial Summer Campaign fundraising drive is just days away, and we’re falling short of our must-hit goal. Will you donate now to help power the nonprofit, independent reporting of Common Dreams? Thank you for being a vital member of our community. Together, we can keep independent journalism alive when it’s needed most. - Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Democratic lawmakers said late Monday that the U.S. Postal Service is poised to be a casualty of the coronavirus pandemic and could collapse by summer's end barring an infusion of billions of dollars in federal aid.
The warning came in a joint statement from House Oversight Committee Chairwoman Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) and Government Operations Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) that cited "urgent help" needed by the agency as it faces plummeting mail volume and "imminent bankruptcy."
Maloney and Connolly pointed to measures intended to help the Postal Service contained within the House's new coronavirus stimulus package--the Take Responsibility for Workers and Families Act--which was unveiled Monday.
The bill (pdf) contains provisions that would cancel the Postal Service's debt, allow it to borrow up to $15 billion, and inject it with $25 billion in emergency funding "for revenue forgone due to the coronavirus pandemic."
"Based on a number of briefings and warnings this week about a critical fall-off in mail across the country, it has become clear that the Postal Service will not survive the summer without immediate help from Congress and the White House," said Maloney and Connolly.
The critical services provided by the agency have been underscored amid the developing outbreak, with postal workers delivering ballots for recent elections and bringing medical supplies to those following public health recommendations to stay home.
"Every community in America relies on the Postal Service to deliver vital goods and services, including life-saving medications," added Maloney and Connolly. "The Postal Service needs America's help, and we must answer this call."
Democratic lawmakers said late Monday that the U.S. Postal Service is poised to be a casualty of the coronavirus pandemic and could collapse by summer's end barring an infusion of billions of dollars in federal aid.
The warning came in a joint statement from House Oversight Committee Chairwoman Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) and Government Operations Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) that cited "urgent help" needed by the agency as it faces plummeting mail volume and "imminent bankruptcy."
Maloney and Connolly pointed to measures intended to help the Postal Service contained within the House's new coronavirus stimulus package--the Take Responsibility for Workers and Families Act--which was unveiled Monday.
The bill (pdf) contains provisions that would cancel the Postal Service's debt, allow it to borrow up to $15 billion, and inject it with $25 billion in emergency funding "for revenue forgone due to the coronavirus pandemic."
"Based on a number of briefings and warnings this week about a critical fall-off in mail across the country, it has become clear that the Postal Service will not survive the summer without immediate help from Congress and the White House," said Maloney and Connolly.
The critical services provided by the agency have been underscored amid the developing outbreak, with postal workers delivering ballots for recent elections and bringing medical supplies to those following public health recommendations to stay home.
"Every community in America relies on the Postal Service to deliver vital goods and services, including life-saving medications," added Maloney and Connolly. "The Postal Service needs America's help, and we must answer this call."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.