Take Action to Help Move Bill Requiring New Scrutiny of Postal Rate-Making Process

Dear Industry Member:

As we reported to you on Sept. 9th, Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA-11th) introduced the Ensuring Accurate Postal Rates Act (H.R. 8781), which would require the Postal Regulatory Commission to conduct a follow-up review of the postal rate-making process. Here’s a brief backgrounder and steps on how you can help this vital bill gain traction through the pending appropriations process:
• Review our Sept. 9th announcement at https://catalogmailers.org/rep-connolly-introduces-bill-requiring-new-scrutiny-of-postal-rate-making-process/
• Note that although Rep. Connolly got bipartisan support from Reps. Sam Graves (R-MO-6th), Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO-5th), and Jake LaTurner (R-KS-2nd), the greater support we can recruit, especially from the authorizing committee, the better the chance of action through the Congressional process.
• Go to https://oversight.house.gov/members for the list of Members of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform to see if your company has connections (geographic or personal) with any of these committee Members and can reach out to those located in your district(s).
• When you reach out, refer to these talking points (https://catalogmailers.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/C21-Points-for-HR-8781-9-16-22.pdf) prepared by the Coalition for a 21st Century Postal Service, the mailing industry group of which ACMA is a member organization.
• Additionally, our colleagues at the market dominant mailing coalition Keep Us Posted, also of which ACMA is a member, have made this template (https://mobilize4change.org/3OsaqD5?title=Mr&fullname=Paul+Miller&email=pmiller%40catalogmailers.org&phone=–&address1=&address2=&zip5=&country=US&city=) available to contact your Members of Congress.
• The desired end game here is for the bill to end up in an omnibus bill, either toward year-end or First Quarter 2023.

Why This Action?
Mailers got virtually nothing out of the $10B granted by Congress to the USPS as part of the CARES Act. It went to the USPS’s cash position. The PRC’s November 2020 review formula did not consider the Covid-fueled boom in parcel volume for the Postal Service. Also, the PRC’s density formula treated the density change as a volume change to all delivery points, and thus neglected the profitability of the new delivery points and the volume they bring.

Instead, the PRC review allowed for the USPS to break the CPI cap and begin instituting two rate hikes per year. This needs to be curtailed and you can help. And ACMA is here to help you in the process by simply responding to this email for our support.

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