Postal Service has been a matter of both contention and confusion since the 1970 Postal Reorganization Act (PRA) put the Postal Service on a self-sustaining basis, exempting it from general budget and funding laws and denying the executive branch control over its finances. The US postal service (despite quibbles by some) is a “quasi-governmental" organization. That, by our math, is $11 billion a year. And many of those big plans that Democrats had won’t be happening. First off, we know for a fact that the Post Office is, on paper, $20 billion in the red for the last four years. Postal Service, "U.S. The U.S. I have asked before, but people keep telling me the government owns the post office. They replaced its traditional agency structure with a flat out private corporate structure, which is inherently anti-worker, and moved it to an independent ststus when it used to be a full member of the Executive Branch. In the Constitution, power is given to Congress to establish a postal service. The federal government struggled with this issue and decided to subsidize postal routes that supported national development. The budget status of the U.S. UPDATE: Some text in the final paragraph has been revised. After the 1970 mass postal strikes, Congress and the Nixon administration reorganized the post office to be more anti-worker. Both Trump and Obama enjoyed unified government for their first eight months in office -- but one-party control hasn't been the same in 2017 as it was in 2009. In 1789, that meant 75 Post Offices and about 2,400 miles of post roads. U.S. I want to know who to contact OVER the people a complaint will go to from their website. Bush to take office without his party controlling both chambers of Congress. What company or corporation do the postal offices report to? Postal Service will run out of operational funds by the end of September unless Congress intervenes, ... “The Postal Service relies on the sale of postal products and services to fund our operations, and these sales are plummeting as a result of the pandemic. As every 6 year old learns, there is real and there is make believe. The filibuster will be sticking around, at least for now. Enter your address or postal code and get nearby post offices, outlets, maps and hours. Post Office Money® ISAs are provided by OneFamily. The Treasury Department is considering taking unprecedented control over key operations of the U.S. A shift to mail voting is increasing the chances that Americans will not know which party won the White House on election night, Nov. 3., and it could also delay a final call on control of the Senate. Postal Service by imposing tough terms on an emergency coronavirus loan from Congress… The financially imperiled post office, under attack by President Trump, has become a potent symbol for a Democratic Party looking for unifying causes. In 2006, Congress essentially told the post office to set aside $110 billion over 10 years. It was one of the original functions of Government, mentioned in the Constitution. Postal Service but incompletely depicted its financial status. In the past, rates were determined by the number of pages in a letter and the distance it was traveling. That means it not only does Congress have the power to create a postal system, it had the ability to acquire and control the land for the “post roads” to carry the mail and the buildings needed to maintain the system. If Congress does not allow the post office to adapt to its customers' changing needs, Partenheimer says, USPS will be forced to ask for a taxpayer bailout to the tune of $47 billion by 2017. There are also four open seats that had been held by Republicans until they resigned and left office earlier this year. It has been the source, supported by the Necessary and Proper Clause, of much federal criminal legislation. Please be advised that due to the COVID-19 situation, postal outlets are operating, however the hours posted on our website may differ from the actual business hours at each location. Now, they need that money in order to have the post office work so it can take all of these millions and millions of ballots. It shares power with the executive branch, led by the president, and the judicial branch, whose highest body is the Supreme Court of the United States. Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution lists the enumerated powers given to Congress. 2 min read. Article I, Section 8, Clause 7 gives Congress the power "to establish Post Offices and post Roads". It does not, however, guarantee the existence of the US Postal Service as it currently exists. Congress, not the post office itself, is the problem. Then Congress needs to strike a grand bargain for postal reform—a deal that would both save the post office from short-term insolvency and align the … But if Congress is able to figure out a way soon to get the USPS back on its feet, it will open the doors for the postal service to catch up to the 21st-century society it serves. ... he could be the first president since George H.W. Rates were changed as well. The Post Office's real problem is that it has tremendous fixed costs: USPS spent $6 billion on retirement benefits alone and employs nearly 640,000 workers. States continued to petition Congress for new post routes regardless of their potential for profit. The fact that the Constitution specifically mentions “Post Offices” does say a great deal about the importance the Founding Fathers attributed to the mail. Savings in Post Office Money cash ISAs are deposited with Bank of Ireland UK. Getty. The Postal Service has said that it may not be able to continue service past September without help. The post office has been profitable it's average net gain a year has been 4.8 billion dollars but with the mandate that they prefunding a retirement with payment of he amount of 5.8 billion dollars a year for people that haven't even started to work at the post office yet. Post office makes a profit Congress won’t let it keep Editor, Times-Dispatch: Robin Beres’ Commentary column eloquently discussed the value of the U.S. Looking for a mortgage? The postal employees tell me that it is no longer a governmental agency. VIEW MORTGAGES. Whether it's your first home, existing property or you're moving home, we can help you every step of the way. All other Post Office Money savings accounts are provided by Bank of Ireland UK. I have also been told by other people that it is privately owned. The solution to the post office financial deficit is simple. Give it back the money Congress has stolen from it over the past years. Congress is the legislative branch of the federal government that represents the American people and makes the nation's laws. Congress’s power under the Post Office Clause is consequential. Let me provide some context about an agency that doesn’t use a dime of taxpayer money and hasn’t for more than a quarter-century. Find a Post Office We are closer than you think . Congress has control over the post office. What Congress Does. Before 1971, it was a department of government, supported by taxes. Why? Find a post office near you using our online tool. Does that make since to you? The President is working to undermine the Post Office. He could be the first president in decades without his party in control of Congress. Congress first passed a post office naming law in 1967, to honor former Rep. Charles Buckley of New York, a onetime chairman of the House Committee on Public Works. 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