SCHUMER: MAIL SERVICE ACROSS UPSTATE NEW YORK HAS BECOME ALL TOO FREQUENTLY VERY LATE, HURTING THOSE WHO RELY ON RX, ESSENTIAL GOODS, SMALL BIZ, VOTING & MORE; SENATOR ANNOUNCES A VOTE THIS WEEK ON $50 BILLION DOLLAR, MAJOR OVERHAUL OF USPS; PLAN ENSURES DELIVERY AT 6 DAYS A WEEK, SUPPORTS CARRIERS, WORKERS, NEW FLEET & MORE

Schumer Says $50 Billion In Reforms To Post Office Will Rebuild This Great SERVICE To The Nation---Finally Action After Decades Of Kicking The Can Down The Road

Complaints About Slow USPS Service In NY Stem From Decades Of Casting USPS’ Needs Aside; People Depend On The USPS To Do So Many Things Private Industry Just Won't 

Schumer: Bipartisan Plan To Save The USPS Has My Fervent Stamp Of Approval, And Will Get Its Senate Vote This Week   

Standing with postal carriers and workers from New York, and also joined by an Etsy entrepreneur who depends on the USPS to run her business, U.S. Senator Charles Schumer announced, today, that he will push for a vote THIS WEEK on a $50 billion dollar overhaul of the USPS. Schumer said that the USPS must be saved and that waiting any longer could cripple the service beyond repair.

“The Post Office is quite simply one of the most important institutions of American life,” said U.S. Senator Charles Schumer. “Every day, tens of millions of Americans—veterans, small businesses, people living in rural communities, seniors—rely on the Postal Service for their medicines and prescriptions, for getting essential goods, for voting, for correspondence, for their livelihoods, and to get close to one another on special occasions like birthdays and anniversaries, and things like that.”

“But nevertheless, our Postal Service has needed reform for over a decade. Its budgets are severely strained, its delivery services are overwhelmed, and the disruptions unleashed by the internet have made it harder for it to meet its obligations to the American people and to its own employees. Every one of us has heard objections about letters arriving far too late. In many instances, whether they be checks that people depend on for their livelihoods or prescription drugs or whatever, these complaints are growing and growing and growing, and it’s not the fault of the workers; it’s the fault of long delay that should end this week.” Schumer added.

Schumer said say that mail service across New York is all too frequently late or regressed compared to years past and that this hurts people who rely on the service for prescriptions, essential goods, small business, voting and more. Schumer detailed the $50 billion dollar overhaul plan and what he plans to do this week on the Senate Floor as he made the case for this long overdue reformation.   

Schumer said the bipartisan postal reform bill offers a much-needed reset because it will guarantee delivery services continue six days a week, it will put the Post Office on a path back towards solvency, and it will ensure that we take care of our dedicated postal workers, while also saving the Post Office over billions of dollars over time.

As reported by NPR, key parts of the bill include requiring Postal Service employees to enroll in Medicare, which would cut down on premiums. Currently, NPR reported, about a quarter of retired postal workers do not enroll in Medicare, even when they are eligible. This, they reported, is estimated to save approximately $22.6 billion over 10 years. Schumer reiterated that ensuring continued six day delivery service it critical, as is making deliveries more efficient and timely, and that putting the post office on a path towards stability essential for its long-term future.

Schumer referenced some critical stats as he made his push for a postal reform vote.

Size/background

• 249.9 million mail pieces daily
• Prices:

     Global average

      $1.23

      U.S.

     $0.55

• 46% of the world’s mail is processed and delivered by USPS

Medication

• The VA sends 80% of medication through the mail
• 17% of Medicare recipients (7 million people) received at least 1 medication through the mail
• Some insurance companies also encourage mail orders by giving customers price deals

Small businesses

• A 2019 report found that 70% of microbusinesses had utilized USPS in just the last 6 months
• UPS and FedEx are not as cost effective for small businesses
• Etsy requested congress to provide emergency funding for USPS

     91% of Etsy’s 2.8 million sellers use USPS to ship their products

Mail in voters

• 2020 : 43% of voters cast their ballots by mail
• Over 43 million voters

Social Security

Each year social security sends 350 million notices through mail

• 27% of people 65 and older don’t use the internet
• Older adults like to pay their bills in paper checks instead of through an online system

 

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