Nonprofit mailers and related organizations are being urged to thank members of Congress who supported the recent cancellation of an anticipated increase in the postage rate. The thank-you effort was spurred by Keep US Posted, a nonprofit advocacy group that supports “a reliable, affordable U.S. Postal Service.”

According to an email from Keep US Posted, individuals and entities affected by postal rate increases are being urged to contact at least 30 members of Congress with messages of thanks for raising concerns about “excessive twice-a-year rate increases” and appreciation for the canceling of a planned postage rate increase that had been scheduled for January 2025.

Additionally, leaders asked via the email that 22 House members who helped table the rate increase also support H.R. 9839, the USPS SERVES US Act, which would “ensure effective oversight of the USPS and allow it to block imprudent rate and service decisions.” Absent passage of H.R. 9839, the twice-yearly postage rate increases will likely resume in 2026.

The 22 House members who supported postponing the upcoming rate increase consisted of 17 Democrats and five Republicans, including H.R. 9839 sponsor Rep. Jake LaTurner (R-Kansas). The other House members supporting the rate freeze were: Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II (D-Missouri); Rep. Steve Cohen, (D-Tennessee); Rep. Gerald E. Connolly (D-Virginia); Rep. Jim Costa, (D-California); Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minnesota); Rep. Sharice L. Davids, (D-Kansas); Rep. Dwight Evans, (D-Pennsylvania); Rep. Sam Graves (R-Missouri); Rep. Diana Harshbarger (R-Tennessee); Rep. Barbara Lee, (D-California); Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, (D-Illinois); Rep. David Kustoff, (R-Tennessee); Rep. Kweisi Mfume (D-Maryland); Rep. Mary (Sattler) Peltola (D-Alaska); Rep. Stacey E. Plaskett, (D-Virgin Islands); Rep. Jamie Raskin, (D-Maryland) ; Rep. Abigail Davis Spanberger, (D-Virginia); Rep. Elise M. Stefanik (R-New York); Rep. Shri Thanedar, (D-Michigan); Rep. Rashida Tlaib, (D-Michigan); and Rep. Jill Tokuda, (D-Hawaii).

The 22 House members were joined by eight members of the Senate, all of whom are Democrats. The eight senators are:

Sen. Tammy Baldwin, (D-Wisconsin); Sen. Tammy Duckworth, (D-Illinois); Sen. Richard J. Durbin, (D-Illinois); Sen. Martin Heinrich, (D-New Mexico); Sen. Amy Klobuchar, (D-Minnesota); Sen. Gary Peters, (D-Michigan); Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vermont); and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Oregon).

While for the most part the content or quantity of any messages sent to legislators were not made available, a representative from The News/Media Alliance said organization leadership had thanked any legislators who contributed to the decision to cancel the January rate increase. The crux of the News/Media Alliance’s messaging was that its leaders appreciated “your effort to raise concerns about the USPS Delivering for America Plan, which has led to excessive twice-a-year rate increases over the last four years. We were pleased to see the USPS cancel the increase planned for January, which will give a valuable respite to our members who have been harmed by the unsustainable rate hikes. While the pause is welcome, it is only temporary. We are concerned that USPS will make up for not raising rates in January by imposing very large rate increases next summer. USPS has signaled to the Postal Regulatory Commission that it intends to resume twice-a-year increases in 2026 and 2027.”

The News/Media Alliance also asked members of Congress to support H.R. 9078, and S. 4378, the bipartisan Deliver for Democracy Act, which incentivizes on-time postal delivery service and limits excessive rate increases, as well as to consider supporting H.R. 9839.

Separately, several nonprofit and other industry representatives offered general support for the efforts. “We deeply appreciate the efforts of Congress in addressing the concerns of the printing industry, particularly for those involved in transactional and direct mail, by urging USPS to cancel the upcoming January postage rate increase,” PRINTING United Alliance CEO Ford Bowers wrote to The NonProfit Times. “The accelerated pace of price hikes has placed a significant burden on businesses that rely on mail as a critical part of their operations, and this decision offers much-needed relief. We are thankful for this temporary reprieve, as it will provide the industry with a vital opportunity to adjust and plan for the future. We encourage everyone in the community to take a moment to thank their congressional representatives for stepping in and recognizing the importance of a balanced approach to postal pricing.”

Additionally, a spokesperson for the American Forest & Paper Association noted that organization leaders support “legislative and regulatory measures that sustain the economic viability of the United States Postal Service (USPS) and enable it to deliver convenient, efficient, and affordable mail service consistent with evolving market realities.”

But The Nonprofit Alliance’s Vice President, Government Affairs Mark Micali took a measured tone similar to the News/Media Alliance in giving praise. “While we are pleased that there will be no January postal rate increase, we are engaged in a ‘long game’ to slow down the massive postal rate increases of the last few years,” Micali wrote to The NonProfit Times.

To that end, The Nonprofit Alliance is supporting Rep. LaTurner’s bill, which includes language that:

* Prohibits the PRC from creating a rate system with no price cap;

* Holds the USPS accountable for service performance by reducing rate authority if it fails to meet established service targets;

* Limits rate increase to once per year;

* Creates a new volume-encouraging objective for evaluating rate increases; and,

* Enables the USPS to invest retirement assets in private index funds such as those used by the Thrift Savings Fund.

None of the legislators contacted offered details regarding the volume or content of messages received. But a few fleshed out their support for holding the line on postage costs. “I’m pleased the USPS has heeded our bipartisan calls to forgo another postage rate increase at the beginning of 2025, as countless Americans in my congressional district and beyond have been harmed by the Postmaster General’s decision to raise prices,” said Rep. Cleaver, whose office pointed to several Postal Service governance and rate hike opposition actions he had undertaken, said.

“However, there is still much work left to address mail delivery delays that are hurting families and small businesses alike, and we won’t stop pushing the Postmaster General to uphold the delivery standards that Missourians have come to expect from the USPS,” Cleaver added.

“I hear frequently from my constituents who are concerned that postal rate hikes, coupled with proposed service degradation, will have serious consequences for their families and their businesses,” Rep. Connolly said. “And they’re right — this would have an impact on the delivery of everything from local newspapers to prescriptions to Grandma’s birthday card. I plan to keep pushing this issue so we can avoid the death spiral that will result from higher prices and worse service.”

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Source From Non Profit Times