Call on Congress to Deliver COVID Relief Funds to USPS

More than 1,200 Businesses, Trade Associations & Consumer Orgs Call on Congress to Deliver COVID Relief Funds to USPS

“‘The Postal Service is the backbone of businesses large and small in America, and must endure,’ states the letter.”

Washington, D.C. (April 30, 2020) – The Coalition for a 21^st Century Postal Service, an organization of public and private companies, trade associations and other industry groups which rely on the U.S. Postal Service to do business, coordinated a letter from its members and many others to U.S. Congressional leadership asking for emergency funding for USPS.

The letter is signed by more than 1,200 organizations from across the nation, including Coalition for a 21^st Century Postal Service members, other businesses large and small, consumer organizations, community newspapers and more.

The letter reads in part:

“We, along with the postal-reliant industry that generates $1.6 trillion in sales and employs 7.3 million workers, have long supported a self-sufficient Postal Service. But no business entity can withstand a 50% or more externally-imposed drop in business and revenues, as USPS projects due to COVID-19, and long survive. That is why emergency funding must be provided now.

“The American people have been reminded during this pandemic of just how fundamental to American life the Postal Service still is. USPS is delivering prescriptions, household and business staples, groceries, Personal Protective Equipment, greeting cards and personal correspondence to bridge social distancing, Paycheck Protection Program, Social Security and tax refund checks, CDC advice cards on keeping oneself and family safe, and newspapers and magazines still vital to informing the American people. It is enabling a new wave of businesses along with the e-commerce sector to survive the pandemic through remote order and fulfillment. Postal Service delivery is essential. And it is of particularly acute need in rural areas of the country, where there are no alternatives, and often not even broadband. USPS is a lifeline there and elsewhere throughout the country during these challenging times.

“As to how much is needed, we defer to the experts, the bipartisan Postal Service Board of Governors appointed by the President, and our leaders in Congress. While substantial sums are needed, they amount to a small part of the emergency funds Congress has provided and will continue to provide, including to sustain small businesses, their employees and the economy. The Postal Service is the backbone of businesses large and small in America, and must endure.”

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The Coalition for a 21st Century Postal Service (C21) consists of public and private companies and industry associations representing newspapers, advertisers, catalogers, e-commerce, parcels, greeting cards, financial services, telecommunications, insurance, paper, printing, technology, envelope manufacturing, and mail services, which understand the essential role of USPS and want it sustained for the future. C21 broadly represents an industry generating nearly $1.6 trillion in sales and supporting 7.3 million private-sector jobs. Learn more at 21stcenturypostal.org.