REFERENCE TITLE: postal service; urging continued independence

State of Arizona

House of Representatives

Fifty-sixth Legislature

First Regular Session

2023

HCM 2001

Introduced by

Representatives Salman: De Los Santos, Stahl Hamilton

A Concurrent Memorial

urging the United States Congress to ensure that the United States postal service remains independent.

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To the Congress of the United States of America:

Your memorialist respectfully represents:

Whereas, Congress has constitutional authority to establish post offices and post roads; and

Whereas, federal law states that the function of the United States Postal Service (USPS) is to "provide postal services to bind the Nation together through the personal, educational, literary, and business correspondence of the people," and that the USPS must provide dependable, consistent and prompt services to all communities across the nation; and

Whereas, the USPS is a self-sustaining, independent establishment that does not receive taxpayer funding and relies solely on revenue derived from the sale of postal services and products; and

Whereas, the USPS and its more than 500,000 employees are at the center of the $1.6 trillion mailing industry, employing a total of 7.3 million Americans; and

Whereas, serving the needs of 157 million business and residential customers six days a week, the USPS maintains an affordable and universal network and connects the country's rural, suburban and urban communities; and

Whereas, the USPS is consistently the highest-rated agency of the federal government in nonpartisan opinion polls; and

Whereas, the USPS is the nation's second-largest employer of veterans; and

Whereas, postal employees are dedicated public servants who do more than process and deliver the nation's mail. They serve as the eyes and ears of the nation's communities and often are the first to respond in situations involving health, safety and crime in the communities they serve; and

Whereas, privatizing the USPS would jeopardize the booming e-commerce sector, result in higher prices and reduced services, especially in rural areas, and cripple a major part of the nation's critical infrastructure.

Wherefore your memorialist, the House of Representatives of the State of Arizona, the Senate concurring, prays:

1. That Congress take appropriate measures to ensure that the USPS remains an independent establishment of the federal government.

2. That Congress reform the burdensome requirement that the USPS prefund its retiree health benefits and enact legitimate, actuarial-based investment reforms for the USPS retiree health fund.

3. That Congress not privatize all or any part of the USPS.

4. That the Secretary of State of the State of Arizona transmit copies of this Memorial to the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives and each Member of Congress from the State of Arizona.