Both sides need to keep Postal Service afloat

Just before they left on their two-week recess, House Democrats passed a $1.5 trillion infrastructure spending bill that likely won't win congressional approval.

But a key part of the Moving Forward Act should certainly gain favor in some form from legislators on both sides of the aisle.

That part — amounting to $25 billion — would go to the beleaguered U.S. Postal Service to modernize postal infrastructure and operations. It earmarks $6 billion for new delivery vehicle fleet that would be at least 75% “electric or zero emission vehicles.”

Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Oregon, chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, said the funding would help the Postal Service meet its mission 'rain, shine, night, day, COVID or not.”

“The Postal Service is doing it in 35-year-old delivery vehicles,” he said. “They're decrepit and incredibly expensive to maintain. This would help them buy a new fleet and help them get through this crisis.”

The Postal Service has needed help for years, and without long-term reform it predicts it could run out of money before the end of 2021.

It deserves a boost from Congress as decisions are made for further coronavirus stimulus.

It may be easy for some to dismiss the Postal Service needs, thinking that mail is in the past in this age of online banking and texts and email for fast communication. But many Americans continue to rely on the mail as they send personal checks for services and cards and notes to loved ones. This is no time to shortchange that.

Republicans and

Democrats are going to have to find common ground here.

It didn't happen in the first stimulus bill, as the Trump administration vetoed $13 billion in emergency funding for the Postal Service in April.

At the time the president said he would not approve government help for the Postal Service until it raised its prices.

“The post office, if they raised the price of a package by approximately four times, it would be a whole new ballgame,” the president said back then. “But they don't want to raise it because they don't want to insult Amazon, and they don't want to insult other companies, perhaps, that they like.

“The post office should raise the price of the packages to the companies. Not to the people, to the companies. If they did that, it would be a whole different story.”

Treasury Secretary

Steve Mnuchin agreed with Trump, adding that there will be certain criteria for a postal reform program as part of a loan agreement.

Postal reform certainly must be part of any new funding, but there should be no delay. The need is real and now.

A “Save the USPS” rally in Philadelphia late last month attracted about three dozen U.S. Postal workers and supporters, calling on Congress to provide funding in the next stimulus bill.

“Look at the people that are out here today, it should be a lot more. Everyone depends on the Postal Service, we depend on the Postal Service,” said Nancy Rolling, American Postal Workers Union vice president.

Yes, many Americans still do depend on the service. It's time for both sides in Washington to deliver.