The White House is supporting the U.S. Postal Service’s (USPS) request to end Saturday mail delivery, sell non-postal items and raise postage rates in order to save jobs.
The proposal would cut federal deficits by $18.6 billion within 10 years. If Congress does not reach an agreement, as many as 120,000 post office workers could face layoffs and thousands of other workers would see a significant change in their retiree health benefits.
USPS has almost reached its borrowing limit of $15 billion, and their losses may total up to $10 billion. Unless lawmakers extend the due date, USPS owes $5.5 million in retiree health benefits by the end of September. USPS relies on stamps, packages, and other services for their funding, and receives no tax dollars.
Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.), the chairman of a Senate subcommittee that oversees USPS, backed the proposal. He said it would allow the Postal Service to attract new business.
“The president’s proposal would help the Postal Service update its business model to reflect Americans’ changing communications habits,” Carper said. It would also “address some of the financial burdens associated with the Postal Service’s future retiree health care costs.”
Lindsay Kermisch, a sophomore Spanish major, stressed the importance of a postal service.
“Mail is something necessary and shouldn’t have to rely on profit…raising the rates isn’t going to help anyone,” said Kermisch.
Allison Wolf, a junior theatre and Spanish major, had a different opinion.
“[The decision to end Saturday mail] would be inconvenient, but health care is more important than mail,” Wolf said.