Postal Affairs Committee Update
Mailing Industry Rallies for Postal Reform: “Romp in the Swamp”
by Sarah Moe Meyers
Israeli politician and diplomat Abba Eban noted, “Men and nations behave wisely when they have exhausted all other resources.” Sadly, this is true of Congress too. Over the last eight months, the House and Senate failed to deliver on campaign promises for swift action on a budget, healthcare and tax reform.
Given the inability to provide solutions on these central issues, it is not surprising that postal reform legislation also has languished after a promising start early in the year. Nevertheless, H.R. 756, The Postal Service Reform Act of 2017, remains a “wise” course of action to forestall rate increases that could jeopardize 7.5 million jobs and $1.4 trillion in economic activity, not to mention the burgeoning e-commerce industry.
With all this as a backdrop, steep challenges remain for us as postal reform advocates. In a recent meeting with Congressional Staff, the GCA’s lobbyist, Rafe Morrissey, was told that compared to issues like tax reform and healthcare, postal reform is just not important enough. We must make postal reform a priority for Congressional leaders.
We are not sitting idly on the sidelines. The GCA Postal Affairs Committee is funding a public relations and social media effort through the Coalition for a 21st Century Postal Service, and together we have developed a website to educate the public on the need to engage their Members of Congress on this issue. The campaign will take our message directly to key decision makers on Capitol Hill through Facebook. Passionate citizens have already generated more than a thousand e-mails in a single district in just two weeks. These efforts were augmented this month to ensure that Members of Congress hear just how important stabilizing the Postal Service is.
While these tactics are valuable and effective, we need the cooperation of every GCA member to achieve the legislative success we seek. There are two things you can do to be a part of the effort.
First, go to www.21stcenturypostal.org and follow the prompts on the Take Action page to contact your Member of Congress. It will take no more than a few minutes of your time.
Second, I ask you to attend the GCA/EMA Fall Meeting, October 25-28, 2017 in Washington, D.C. We are partnering with the Envelope Manufacturers Association (EMA) to maximize our presence on Capitol Hill. If you have never participated in a Washington fly-in, this will be a great opportunity. (This may also be our last chance to push for action before the PRC decision in the 10-year rate review that may increase postage rates).
In addition to networking with peers from the broader mailing industry and hearing from great speakers, your participation will help us get the attention our issue deserves. This event will coincide with the 43rd anniversary of the “Rumble in the Jungle,” when Muhammed Ali took on Joe Frazier as an underdog no one expected to win. I invite you to join me to “Romp in the Swamp” this October, to help us beat the odds and ensure that our Postal Service and our industry have a secure future.
Look for registration information in the coming weeks. I’ll see you there!
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