HELL NO to Privatization Rally

(SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb.) — You may have seen a line of demonstrators yesterday on 27th St. In the fight to protect jobs and a strong, public USPS for generations to come, postal workers stand united!

The USPS, established by the Constitution, has always been a vital public service. All these years later, its mission to provide universal mail service to the nation remains a fundamental constitutional commitment.

USPS’s universal service obligation means letter carriers keep every community and business in every zip code connected. Postal privatization threatens that service across America.

For anyone concerned about how their tax dollars are being spent… Here is some interesting information we found; Since a reorganization in 1970, the USPS has been largely self-funded. The bulk of its annual $78.5 billion budget comes from customer fees, according to the Congressional Research Service. Congress provides a relatively small annual appropriation — about $50 million in fiscal year 2023 — to subsidize free and reduced-cost mail services. That’s only .0006%!

Senate introduces anti-privatization resolution

On March 27, 2025, Sens. Gary Peters (D-MI) and Dan Sullivan (R-AK) introduced a Senate resolution (S.Res. 147) that calls on Congress to take all appropriate measures to ensure that the Postal Service remains an independent establishment of the federal government and is not subject to privatization.

Four senators joined the bipartisan leads as original co-sponsors: Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Susan Collins (R-ME), Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH).

The Senate version is identical to the House version (H.Res. 70), which was introduced by Reps. Stephen Lynch (D-MA) and Nick LaLota (R-NY) in January and currently has 180 co-sponsors.

“Letter carriers take great pride in the work they do, providing universal service to every address in the nation,” NALC President Brian L. Renfroe said. “Every member of Congress represents constituents who depend on the Postal Service. I urge every representative to sign on to this resolution.”

“For more than 250 years, the Postal Service has been a cornerstone of our nation, connecting every household and business across the country,” Sen. Peters said. “Any efforts to undermine the Postal Service’s independence or privatize it would jeopardize affordable, universal mail service and harm the millions of Americans—especially veterans, small business owners, and rural communities—who rely on the Postal Service every day. This resolution reaffirms our commitment to keeping the Postal Service independent and self-sustaining, ensuring it continues to serve as a vital lifeline for all Americans.”

“In a state as vast as Alaska, with many remote communities only accessible by air or water, the USPS serves as an essential government agency, that keeps postal services affordable for Alaskans,” Sen. Sullivan said. “I am glad to work with my colleagues from other rural states on this resolution to oppose the privatization of the USPS and ensure that this critical agency remains focused on its statutory requirement to reliably deliver mail to every household, no matter how remote.”

Here are a few myths answered with facts:

MYTH: The USPS loses billions of dollars each year in taxpayers’ money.

FACT: The Postal Service is self-funded and relies on revenue generated from the sale of stamps, products, and services to pay for its operations.

MYTH: The USPS is obsolete because letter mail volumes have steadily declined in the digital age.

FACT: The Postal Service is 250 years old and has always adapted to new technology and mail-mix. While letter mail is down, package volumes are up. Additionally, the Postal Reform Act of 2022 allows the Postal Service to offer new services to local government. These and other expanded services like postal banking, could underpin USPS finances for generations to come.

MYTH: The USPS isn’t profitable, so it should be run like a business.

FACT: The Postal Service is not a business; it is enshrined in the constitution and has a congressionally-mandated obligation to serve the people by delivering to all 169 million addresses, urban or rural, six days a week.

MYTH: If the mail was run by private companies, the universal service obligation would still exist and the Postal Service would deliver to every address.

FACT: Delivery would be driven by profit margins, and private companies will only go to where they can make a profit. Sections of our population could lose mail service entirely. Prices would rise according to whatever the company demands for their own profit.

MYTH: Moving the USPS under the Commerce Department would mean it is still a public agency, and not subject to privatization.

FACT: Moving the USPS under the Commerce Department would be a step backwards, giving power back to the Executive Branch and removing the independent governance that allows us to serve America free from political interference. It could also affect labor union contracts, vote-by-mail initiatives, and much more. Trump-appointed Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick would be in charge. He has already expressed interest in privatizing the Postal Service. This administration intends to break up and sell off the profitable portions of the Postal Service to billionaires and USPS competitors.

If you oppose USPS privatization, you can sign their petition and call your Representatives.