Save the USPS

You have probably seen news coverage on the concerns of many Americans about the possible defunding of the United States Postal Service. The USPS is an essential service to many Americans, especially those who live in rural areas, receive life-saving medications in the mail, run small businesses or require simple financial services.

Countless Americans and small businesses rely on this service, but what makes the USPS so unique in our country?

The United States Postal Service is an essential public service.

The Postal Service is one of the few institutions that our Founding Fathers explicitly mention in the Constitution.

The statute that actually created the Postal Service begins with the following sentence: “The United States Postal Service shall be operated as a basic and fundamental service provided to the people by the Government of the United States, authorized by the Constitution, created by an Act of Congress, and supported by the people.”

The Postal Service provides a vital public service that is a part of the nation’s critical infrastructure. It is the only organization in the country that has the resources, network infrastructure and logistical capability to regularly deliver to every residential and business address in the nation.

Veterans & the postal service

The Postal Service, as of 2018, employs more than 100,000 military veterans, which is 16% of its workers nationally. Veterans account for less than 6% of all employed Americans, according to data for 2019.

The USPS is the only organization authorized to deliver mail and packages to military bases.

The VA fills about 80% of veteran prescriptions by mail because it results in lower processing costs. That translates to almost 120 million prescriptions a year, with deliveries arriving daily to about 330,000 veterans across the country.

 

Workforce diversity and inclusiveness

The Postal Service is one of the leading employers of minorities and women, with minorities comprising 39 percent and women comprising 40 percent of the workforce.

For the third year in a row, the Postal Service was in Hispanic Business magazine’s annual “Diversity Elite 60” list of best companies for Hispanics, the only federal agency on the list.

Efforts to shrink the Postal Service payroll would likely affect racial and ethnic minorities, women and veterans more than others. Postal workers are more racially and ethnically diverse than the U.S. labor force as a whole, according to Census Bureau data from 2018, the most recent year available.


Call your representatives!

We can all play a part in making sure that the postal service has the resources to continue serving you. Be sure to buy some stamps and call your US Senators and Representatives to demand that they fully fund the United States Postal Service!

Senators:

Mike Braun (R)
U.S. Senator, IN
(202) 224-4814

Todd Young (R)
U.S. Senator, IN
(202) 224-5623

Representatives:

Pete Visclosky (D)
U.S. Representative, IN 1st District
(202) 225-2461

Jackie Walorski (R)
U.S. Representative, IN 2nd District
(202) 225-3915

Jim Banks (R)
U.S. Representative, IN 3rd District
(202) 225-4436

Jim Baird (R)
U.S. Representative, IN 4th District
(202) 225-5037

Susan Brooks (R)
U.S. Representative, IN 5th District
(202) 225-2276

Greg Pence (R)
U.S. Representative, IN 6th District
(202) 225-3021

André Carson (D)
U.S. Representative, IN 7th District
(202) 225-4011

Larry Bucshon (R)
U.S. Representative, IN 8th District
(202) 225-4636

Trey Hollingsworth (R)
U.S. Representative, IN 9th District
(202) 225-5315