Politically motivated mismanagement over the last two years has put our long-suffering United States Postal Service under even greater strain. Thanks to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy and his disastrous tenure, USPS hasn’t been able to hire enough workers, buy new trucks, or invest in the machines and technology needed to keep the mail moving on schedule. On top of that, DeJoy has made harmful service cuts and price increases. He’s thrown the case for postal reform into stark relief.

People For the American Way has been making that case along with allied organizations and activists, and on March 8, Congress cleared a bill (H.R. 3076) for the president’s desk. It includes:

• Cost-saving administrative reforms in postal retiree health benefits
• Publicly available postal performance data to advance USPS transparency
• Guaranteed delivery of packages and letters six days a week
• Allowing USPS to provide non-postal services in agreements with state, local, and tribal governments
• Expansion of special newspaper distribution rates to promote local news organizations
• Oversight by the Postal Regulatory Commission and by Congress to ensure USPS efficiency and accountability

Much work remains, but this is an important step forward in protecting USPS and ensuring its long-term survival. President Biden is expected to sign the bill into law.