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The United States Postal Service was first established on July 26, 1775. Benjamin Franklin was the first postmaster general. He put into place the foundations of the mail delivery system, many of which are still relevant today. The Postal Service is enshrined in the Constitution and was created by Congress. Its services are a democratic right of the American people, with delivery to around 169 million addresses across the country at least six days a week.

Currently, the USPS has come under attack by the Trump administration to take power away from the bipartisan Postal Board of Governors and put the Postal Service under the control of the Commerce Department, which is run by Wall Street billionaire, Howard Lutnick. Lutnick made his money as a hedge fund manager. Hedge funds often buy and break companies for profit. This would be the first step in breaking up and selling our Postal Service.

Privatization would mean basically the selling of the Postal Service to private corporations. This could happen in a few different ways. All of USPS could be sold to the private sector. It could also mean splitting the network into several pieces, selling off the most profitable parts to corporations, while leaving the rest to fail. Finally, it could mean contracting out most of the network.

Privatization means turning over public postal services to private companies and investors for the maximum profit, not for the well-being and rights of the people. This will lead to higher prices and reduced services, especially to rural America.

The United States Postal Service is not a business; it is a service. By law, it is self-funded and relies on revenue generated from the sale of stamps, products and services to pay for its operations, not tax dollars. The Postal Service has always adapted to new technology. While letter mail volume is down, package volumes are up. Also, the Postal Reform Act of 2022 allows the Postal Service to offer new services to local government. These include services such as postal banking, which could help underpin USPS finances for generations to come.

The Postal Service belongs to the people. Only the legally appointed Board of Governors, nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate, can hire and fire the postmaster general. Please contact your senators at 844-402-1001 and encourage them to support the fight to keep the USPS an independent agency.

The post office will celebrate its 250th anniversary in July. Help to keep the Postal Service strong!

Jeff Kopseng
Retired postal worker
Albert Lea