Letter - People Power United sends a letter to President Biden to protect the Postal Service and nominate two more seats
š½A well informed citizenry is the best defense against tyranny.
People Power United joined other local, state, and national groups to send a letter to President Biden to protect the United States Postal Service and swiftly nominate two members to the board. Shout out to Save the Post Office Coalition and Americans for Financial Reform for leading these efforts.
Here is the letter sent on behalf of our People Power United membership to President Biden:
January 24, 2024
President Joseph R. Biden
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Mr. President,
Thank you for ongoing leadership and commitment to a thriving United States Postal Service (USPS). The expiration of the terms of two members of the Board of Governors presents the Administration with a unique opportunity to ensure that USPS has a vibrant future.
The Postal Service addresses the critical communication needs of millions of communities and businesses across the nation. Each day, there are 421 million pieces of mail and 23 million packages processed and delivered by USPS workers [1]. No other operation in the world matches this level of connectivity and accessibility for their customers. Many of us in Congress hear daily from constituents who rely on the Postal Service for essential services like receiving Social Security checks, paying bills, voting, and receiving medication. Given the fundamental role that the Postal Service plays in the lives of countless Americans, there must be great care taken to choose those who influence its direction.
Unfortunately, the USPS currently suffers from slow rates of delivery service and increased costs. Despite the passage of the Postal Service Reform Act, the Postal Service still faces a litany of challenges. Five price hikes since 2020, continual service delivery problems, and constant declines in mail volume are all indicators that the business model of USPS needs careful attention. America deserves a postal service that serves all our communities and prioritizes the needs of those who are too often forgotten, including rural Americans, tribal communities, seniors, and small businesses. The actions of current postal leadership are deeply concerning. Rather than exploring new sources of revenue, it has continued price increases to āuncomfortable ratesā[2] around the country. Indeed, the latest price hike took effect just days ago.
On December 8, 2023, the terms of Lee Moak and William Zollars, two members of the Board of Governors of the United States Postal Service, expired. We, the undersigned members of Congress, write to urge you to:
Swiftly nominate two new members of the Board to ensure no disruption in service to the American people.
Choose two candidates who will be wholly committed to lowering costs for everyday AmericansĀ and restoring the postal service as a public good to be enjoyed by all and not only those who canĀ afford expensive specialty services.
Now more than ever, it is important that the Board of Governors have a full, diverse, and future-oriented Postal Board of Governors in place that will uphold its mission of public service. In filling the Board vacancies, we urge you to nominate Postal Governor candidates who will hold leadership accountable and advocate strongly for the protection and expansion of USPS servicesāservices that are essential to working class families and small businesses who depend on prompt, reliable, affordable delivery no matter their ZIP code. We must work together to ensure the United States Postal Service of the future is well-positioned to be the innovative institution that the people of our nation deserve. Thank you for your attention to nominating qualified individuals who share our common goal.
Sincerely,
[[MOC SIGNATURES]]
Organizational Endorsements
Americans for Financial Reform
APWU Local 44 and Iowa Progressive Caucus
Chop Wood, Carry Water Daily Actions
Clean Elections Texas
Cleveland Jobs with Justice
Communities and Postal Workers United
Democracy Out Loud
Government Information Watch
Greenpeace USA
In the Public Interest
Indivisible Bainbridge Island
Indivisible Outer Cape
Indivisible San Jose
Indivisible Sonoma County
Indivisible Washington's 8th District
Indivisible Whidbey Island
Institute for Local Self-Reliance
Main Street Alliance
People Power United
Presente.org
Pride at Work
Prison Policy Initiative
Public Citizen
Revolving Door Project
RootsAction.org
San Francisco Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW)
Save the Berkeley Post Office Committee
Secure Elections Network
Small Business Majority
Social Security Works
Swing Blue Alliance
Take On Wall Street
True North Research
Voter Action Project
[1] One Day in the Postal Service, USPS 2023
[2] DeJoy: Expect USPS mail prices to keep going up at an āuncomfortable rateā | Federal News Network
Click here for press release
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People Power United champions progressive values and power to the people. We are a group of people who believe in the possibility of change and work to make it happen. Whether it's supporting a candidate, fighting to pass legislation, or working to change our culture, our members are committed to an inclusive and progressive future.