Fiscal Note
No fiscal impact.
Title
Saluting the US Postal Service for its dedication to connecting people throughout the country and supporting efforts in the US House of Representatives to provide relief to the Postal Service as part of larger COVID-19 relief efforts.
Body
WHEREAS, Article 1, Section 8, Clause 7 of the United States Constitution provides for the establishment of postal routes and offices; and,
WHEREAS, the Post Office Department was founded in 1775 with Benjamin Franklin as the first Postmaster General.; and,
WHEREAS, the Postal Service processed and delivered 142.6 billion mail pieces in 2019; and,
WHEREAS, the US Postal Service employs 496,934 career employees and 136,174 non-career employees; and,
WHEREAS, the US Postal Service workforce is currently made up of 37 percent workers of color and 37 percent women; and,
WHEREAS, the United States Postal Service employs more than 97,000 military veterans and is one of the largest employers of veterans in the country; and,
WHEREAS, in 2019, the Postal Service commended 233 postal employees for rescuing individuals from dangerous situations as they carried out their duties; and,
WHEREAS, the Postal Service facilitates the ability of voters to vote by mail, which is particularly significant amid the COVID-19 crisis; and,
WHEREAS, since 1982, the Postal Service has received no federal funding for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operation; and,
WHEREAS, in 2006, the federal government passed the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act, which mandates that the Postal Service pre-fund its workers' retirement benefits for 10 years; and,
WHEREAS, the Postal Service has experienced a thirty percent decrease in mail volume in 2020 as compared to 2019 volume, due largely to the COVID-19 crisis; and,
WHEREAS, the Postal Service expects to lose two billion dollars each month due to the recession caused by the COVID-19 crisis; and,
WHEREAS, in March 2020, the US House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Reform indicates that the Postal Service may not be able to fund its operations past June of 2020; and,
WHEREAS, the Postal Service is obligated to serve every US household, regardless of geographical location. In service of this, mail carriers deliver via truck, boat, plane, parachute, and mule,
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the City of Madison salutes the US Postal Service for its dedication to connecting people throughout the country; and,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Madison Common Council supports efforts in the US House of Representatives to provide relief to the Postal Service as part of larger COVID-19 relief efforts; and,
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that a copy of this resolution be transmitted to US Senators Tammy Baldwin and Ron Johnson and US Representative Mark Pocan, as well as Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers.
Sources: <https://facts.usps.com/top-facts/>, <https://facts.usps.com/wp-content/uploads/pf20_interior_book_508_ALL.pdf>; <https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/04/11/post-office-bailout-trump/>; <https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/04/why-postal-service-worth-saving/610672/>; <https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/2020/05/tumultuous-history-united-states-postal-service-constant-fight-survival/#close>; <https://oversight.house.gov/news/press-releases/house-democrats-act-rapidly-to-save-postal-service-from-bankruptcy-as-a-result>