Bipartisan group of House lawmakers urge revamp of Postal Service business model

A bipartisan group of 75 House members are calling on the US Postal Service to revamp its business model instead of closing post offices.

In a letter sent to Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) Chairwoman Ruth Goldway, Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA) Don Young (R-Alaska), joined 73 other lawmakers in urging Congress to remove restrictions such as 100 percent retirement prefunding requirements and freeing up the agency to sell other items that aren't mail-related, such as hunting licenses. “We have been presented with a false choice of closing post offices and slashing the workforce or letting the Postal Service go bankrupt,” Connolly said. “There are better alternatives. The Postal Service’s unparalleled retail network is a competitive advantage, but that advantage can't be leveraged because of the 2006 law that prohibits the Postal Service from even selling many postal-related products. We need to change that law.” The Postal Service has proposed closing more than 3,600 offices nationwide.