House Oversight legislators faulted the money-shedding United States Postal Services for choosing to delay the post office closures intended as a cost-cutting measure, a delay that Issa called a “cave-in” that he regards as proof that the USPS hopes to receive a bailout to resolve its fiscal crisis.
“Once again, the Postmaster General has caved to political pressure,” said House Oversight and Government Reform chairman Darrell Issa, R-Calif., in a joint statement with Oversight Postal Subcommittee Chairman Dennis Ross, R-FLa. Noting that “postal losses now total over one billion dollars per month,” Issa and Ross said that this delay hastens the crisis that is bringing the USPS to the brink of collapse . . . it is very clear that the Postal Servce wants a bailout that will cost taxpayers billions of dollars.”
The legislators and the USPS agree on the need comprehensive postal service reform legislation from Congress, but the Democrat-controlled Senate and Republican-controlled House disagree on how to reform the USPS business and cost model.
“The two proposals differ on key issues such as when the agency should be allowed to end Saturday mail delivery and how to offer relief from a multibillion-dollar annual payment to prefund retiree health benefits,” Reuters reports, “which the agency says it cannot afford.”
