U.S. Postal Service Update

Senate Begins Considering Amendments to Postal Service Bill



The Senate yesterday considered the first 15 amendments in a package of
nearly 40 amendments to the postal service reform bill (S 1789).  Under
a unanimous consent agreement, amendments considered during debate
needed to obtain the 60-vote threshold for passage.

Eight of the amendments were approved by voice vote. Of note, Senator
Wyden (D-OR) amendment would require the Postal Service to consider the
effect of closing or consolidating a postal facility on the ability of
the affected community to vote by mail and to provide post offices and
postal facilities to protect the ability to vote by mail. Senator
Dubin's (D-IL) amendment would bar Postmaster Donahoe from closing
mail-processing centers if doing so would not benefit the service
financially.  The amendment introduced by Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) lets
communities streamline aspects of local postal offices, like how many
hours they are open.  Below are the amendments approved.

* Tester amendment modifies spending for closing postal service
facilities. It also caps spending for conferences by all federal
agencies, including the USPS.( #2056) - Voice Vote
* Coburn amendment to provide transparency, accountability, and
limitations of Government sponsored conferences. (#2060) - Voice Vote
* Wyden amendment to require the Postal Service to consider the
effect of closing or consolidating a postal facility on the ability of
the affected community to vote by mail and to provide post offices and
postal facilities to protect the ability to vote by mail. (#2020) -
Voice Vote
* Coburn amendment to improve access to postal services in
communities potentially affected by a postal closing or consolidation.
(#2058) - Voice Vote
* McCaskill amendment to prohibit the closing of a rural post
office unless certain conditions are met and to establish a moratorium
on the closing of rural post offices. (#2031) - Voice Vote
* Snowe amendment to require the Postal Rate Commission to
evaluate area mail processing studies. (#2080) - Voice Vote
* Durbin amendment to prohibit the Postal Service from closing,
consolidating, or reducing the workforce of certain postal facilities.
(#2082) - Voice Vote
* Bennet amendment to establish citizen's service protection
advocates. (#2047) - Voice Vote

All amendments considered in roll calls Tuesday were defeated. Of note,
the chamber rejected 30-69 a Senator McCain, R-AZ, amendment to insert
part of a competing postal overhaul measure (HR 2309) currently
advancing through the House that would speed up postal facility
closures. McCain's amendment would have established a new postal
commission to shutter $3 billion worth of post offices and
mail-processing centers in the next several years. It is likely to
resurface since House leaders favor similar measures. The House
overhaul, for example, would also create an oversight body that would
seize power over the Postal Service if it defaulted and operated with
more than a $2 billion deficit for an extended period of time.

* McCain amendment to establish the Commission on Postal
Reorganization. (#2033) - Rejected
* Coburn amendment to require retirement-eligible employees of the
Postal Service to retire. (#2061) - Rejected
* Udall (NM) amendment to strike the limitations on changes to
mail delivery schedule, with an offset. (#2043) - Rejected
* Akaka amendment to provide appropriate workers compensation for
Federal employees. (#2034) - Rejected
* Corker amendment to improve the bill. (#2083) - Rejected
* Akaka amendment to allow supervisory and other managerial
organizations to participate in the planning and development of changes
in, or termination of, pay policies and schedules and fringe benefit
programs. (#2049) - Rejected
* Paul amendment to end the mailbox use monopoly. (#2025) -
Rejected

The Senate is expected to resume work on the bill this afternoon.  Below
are the remaining amendments that will be debated.

Remaining Bills to be considered:

*         Mikulski amendment to prohibit the United States Postal
Service from closing any postal facility without a certification from
the Governor of the State in which the postal facility is located.
(#2003)

*         Manchin amendment to extend the moratorium on the closing and
consolidation of postal facilities or post offices, stations, or
branches. (#2079)

*         Paul amendment to provide for performance-based pay for the
Postmaster General and appropriately limit the authority of the Postal
Service to award bonuses. (#2026)

*         Bingaman amendment to require that State liaisons for States
without a district office are located within their respective States.
(#2076)

*         Paul amendment to require the closing of post offices in the
Capitol Complex. (#2027)

*         Cardin amendment to prohibit the closing of a postal facility
if the nearest postal facility is more than 50 miles away. (#2040)

*         Paul amendment to establish a pilot program to test
alternative methods for the delivery of postal services. (#2028)

*         Carper amendment to provide for temporary authority to adjust
the first-class mail stamp rate. (#2065)

*         Paul amendment to require the Postal Service to take into
consideration the impact of regulations when developing a profitability
plan. (#2029)

*         Carper amendment to appropriately limit the compensation of
executives of the Postal Service. (#2066)

*         Paul amendment to prohibit employees of the United States
Postal Service from engaging in collective bargaining. (#2039)

*         Casey amendment to maintain current delivery time for
market-dominant products. (#2042)

*         Paul amendment to end the Postal Service monopoly on
first-class mail and mailbox use. (#2038)

*         Landrieu amendment to determine the impact of certain postal
facility closures or consolidations on small businesses. (#2072)

*         DeMint amendment to provide protections for postal workers
with respect to their right not to subsidize union nonrepresentational
activities. (#2046)

*         McCaskill amendment to improve the workers compensation
provisions. (#2030)

*         Coburn amendment to allow the Postal Service to close
unprofitable post office facilities. (#2059)

*         Pryor amendment to express the sense of the Senate with
respect to the closing and consolidation of postal facilities and post
offices. (#2036)

*         Rockefeller amendment to clarify the authority of the Postal
Service relating to Medicare coordination. (#2073)

*         Rockefeller amendment to improve the Postal Service Health
Benefits Program. (#2074)

*         Schumer amendment to maintain all current door delivery point
services. (#2050)

*         Tester amendment to appropriately limit the pay of Postal
Service executives. (#2032)

*         Warner amendment to require reporting regarding retirement
processing and modernization. (#2071, as modified)