June 2, 2014
In a letter urging Senators and Representatives to reject any proposal that would weaken the Postal Service, the National Presidents of the four Postal Unions collectively object to a proposal to use the United States Postal Service as an offset to fund the federal highway trust fund.
The letter to House and Senate Leadership begins:
On behalf of the nearly 650,000 active and retired employees of the U.S. Postal Service represented by our four unions, we write to express our firm opposition to using the United States Postal Service as an offset to fund the nation’s transportation infrastructure. Last week, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor announced a GOP leadership plan to eliminate Saturday mail delivery service as a means to “pay for” a short‐term replenishment of the federal highway trust fund, which is in rapid decline and is expected to run out of money in August. This outrageous and misguided proposal is totally unacceptable and we urge you to oppose it should the idea be presented in the Senate.
Slashing mail delivery service makes no sense in any circumstance, but especially as part of legislation designed to strengthen our nation’s transportation infrastructure. The USPS is off‐budget and receives no taxpayer support whatsoever. Using the Postal Service as an offset for the Highway Trust Fund is a shell game that relies on illusory savings and accounting gimmicks.
