New Bill Scraps Mandate Forcing USPS to Prefund Pensions Decades in Advance

[dogknob]

https://truthout.org/articles/new-bill-scraps-mandate-forcing-usps-to-prefund-pensions-decades-in-advance/

The USPS Fairness Act, an earlier version of which cleared the House last February, would “repeal the requirement that the United States Postal Service prepay future retirement benefits,” a rollback supported by the 200,000-member American Postal Workers Union (APWU) and other organizations representing mail carriers.

“The bipartisan USPS Fairness Act is one of the first steps toward returning the Postal Service to solid financial footing, and I urge Congress to quickly pass this critical legislation,” said APWU president Mark Dimondstein.

Approved by a Republican-controlled Congress and signed into law by former President George W. Bush in 2006, the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act “required the Postal Service to create a $72 billion fund that would pay for its employees’ retirement health benefits for more than 50 years into the future,” NBC News explained Tuesday.

“This is not required [of] any other federal agency,” NBC noted.

Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.), the lead House sponsor of the USPS Fairness Act, said in a statement Monday that “the unreasonable prefunding mandate has threatened the survival of the USPS and placed at risk vital services for the millions who rely on it.”

More at Link... https://truthout.org/articles/new-bill-scraps-mandate-forcing-usps-to-prefund-pensions-decades-in-advance

[rusty fender]

1. It was a law

meant only to sabotage the Post Office so that it could be privatized. I still don’t understand why it was not reversed during the Obama years when we had both houses

[dogknob]

2. Doozy, ain't it? n/t

[rusty fender]

3. Indeed

[LisaM]

7. I looked into that.

All I could find was an article that said Obama had no appetite to do anything. To be fair, he had plenty of other messes to clean up and it hadn't reached the crisis state that it did last year, but I do wish Dems had done something back then.

[rpannier]

8. It had some heavy hitters within the Democratic Party behind it

Henry Waxman from California and Danny Davis from Illinois were sponsors in the House.
Tom Davis and McHugh were the Republican sponsors in the House
Susan Collins was the Republican sponsor in the senate
It passed on voice vote with no objections
There likely were not the votes

[pnwmom]

9. Because the R's were filibustering everything. We still don't know

what will happen with this bill.

[SunSeeker]

13. Obama only had 72 days of a filibuster proof Senate majority.

https://progressivemetrowestsouth.wordpress.com/2012/09/23/fact-obama-had-72-working-days-of-a-filibuster-proof-majority/

He used those days on bills for healthcare (ACA) and saving the economy (Stimulus)

[TeamPooka]

4. This must pass and become law

[byronius]

5. The United States Postal Service is essential to the United States.

Damn I love seeing this. And man do I want to see postal banking.

I love USPS, the story of it, and the man who made it real. Franklin's writings about the USPS are arguments writ large for good government by sober and reasoned people. It's a deeply patriotic act to support this institution.

Sorry, I get all excited. This is cool. I hope we can rebuild it to its former might.

[c-rational]

6. +1 Agreed.

[GoneOffShore]

14. Certainly reasoned people, but sobriety wasn't a strong point back then.

[byronius]

17. Point.

I suppose I kinda meant sober in the common-sensical fashion, not the alcoholic sense.

[BlueMTexpat]

10. Common sense bill!

Thank heavens!

[SheltieLover]

11. K&R!

[DeeDeeNY]

12. They need to also get rid of DeJoy

[BlueNProud]

15. This needs to just get done

[GoCubsGo]

16. About fucking time. nt

[Wounded Bear]

18. K&R...nt

[lindysalsagal]

19. Union busting. They tried to kill schools, usps, and hospitals

Because unions. When you privatize institutions, unions die, and so does the dem contribution channel.

[edhopper]

20. And the hypocritical part

is these same Republicans do everything they can to remove safeguards on pensions with private corporations.

[SMC22307]

21. God gawd, signed by Dubya 15 years ago... this wrong needs to be made right. (n/t)