PIA Reacts to Postal Rate Hike Announcement

“The new proposed rate hike is another pocket-book reminder for business and individual consumers that the USPS is a 21st century entity operating under laws that do not allow for current communications trends, the Internet, increasing costs of health and labor benefits for USPS employees and retirees, and other modern-day marketplace realities,” said Lisbeth Lyons, vice president of government affairs for PIA. “Under the leadership of Senators Susan Collins and Tom Carper, and Representatives Tom Davis and Henry Waxman, Congress is on the cusp of approving the first major overhaul of postal laws in 36 years. The Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act overwhelmingly passed the Senate in Feb. 2006, and the House of Representatives in Aug. 2005. The bipartisan bills do not solve all problems associated with postal reform, but they make great strides toward improving the current situation. Now is the time for Congress, especially in light of the USPS’s announcement, to complete this important legislative work.”