Peters introduces bill in Senate to reform U.S. Postal Service

WASHINGTON — The leading Democrat and Republican on the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee introduced bipartisan legislation targeting reforms for the U.S. Postal Service, after the agencies struggles were magnified in 2020.

U.S. Sens. Gary Peters, D-Bloomfield Township, and Rob Portman, R-Ohio, introduced the Postal Service Reform Act in the Senate May 19. The bill would eliminate the prefunding requirement for retirement pensions and integrate postal worker retirees’ health care with Medicare.

Senators say the bill could create almost $46 billion in annual savings for the USPS. The bill already has nearly 30 co-sponsors, including ten Republicans, giving the bill a significant chance of advancing through the Senate. 

“Millions of Americans and Michiganders, including seniors, veterans, and small business owners, rely on the Postal Service to deliver. For decades, the Postal Service has struggled to overcome unfair and burdensome financial requirements that risk its ability to continue providing reliable service in the long run,” Peters said in a statement.

“This commonsense, bipartisan legislation would help put the Postal Service on a sustainable financial footing, ensure it is more transparent and accountable to the American people, and support hardworking postal workers who deliver rain or shine to communities all across the country. I am proud to lead this bipartisan effort in the Senate and stand ready to work with my colleagues to move this bill through Congress.”

The Postal Service came into focus in 2020, as elections across the country saw increased emphasis on absentee voting and voting by mail. At the same time, USPS experienced delays in delivery for not only ballots, but vital materials such as medication.

Peters participated in an investigation into the delays launched by the Senate Oversight Committee last year. At one point, he said his office had received more than 7,500 complaints about delays and missing deliveries.