Bill that would give the U.S. Postal Service a major overhaul will pass!

[634-5789]

Key parts of the bill include requiring Postal Service employees to enroll in Medicare, which would cut down on premiums, according to the House Oversight Committee. Currently, about a quarter of retired postal workers do not enroll in Medicare, even when they are eligible. The committee estimates this would save approximately $22.6 billion over 10 years.

Additionally, USPS would no longer be required to pre-fund health benefits for its current and retiring employees, which saves about $27 billion over 10 years. This is where the greatest cost savings for the Postal Service would come.

https://www.npr.org/2022/02/10/1079866701/usps-reform-bill

[orangecrush]

1. Good

Is DeJoy gone yet?

[yankeepants]

2. He is the biggest expense to the USPS!

[NurseJackie]

24. All in good time.

[orangecrush]

33. Yup

[NurseJackie]

34. "These things must be done delicately..."

[orangecrush]

35. ...

[former9thward]

38. All last year we were told DeJoy would be gone in December.

I guess the good time is being extended into 2022.

[NurseJackie]

40. Who was saying that?

All last year we were told DeJoy would be gone in December.

Who was saying that? Who are you angry at? Who are you blaming?

I guess the good time is being extended into 2022.

You do understand the actual REASONS it's taking longer than everyone hoped, right?

[former9thward]

41. I guess you missed all the posts on the subject on this site last year.

We were told as soon as the Trump appointees left in December DeJoy would be gone. I don't know how you could have missed all those posts. I am not angry at anything -- just realistic. What I do know is that the three Biden appointees who are on the Board voted in December for a new Chairman who completely supports DeJoy. I also wonder why the Senate is not holding hearings to confirm the last two appointments? Leader Schumer could hold a vote at any time.

[NurseJackie]

42. No... I saw those posts. But my question was WHO SAID IT?

I guess you missed all the posts on the subject on this site last year.

No... I saw those posts (internet posts, in a political discussion forum). But my question was WHO SAID IT who made these promises?

Honestly, I think it was just ordinary people venting with their personal hopes and high expectations (regardless if they understood the actual procedures, rules, regs, processes and law.) And as a result, they gave readers false hopes and unrealistic expectations.

What I do know is that the three Biden appointees who are on the Board voted in December for a new Chairman who completely supports DeJoy.

Realistically, what would you have them do? Who should be the chairman?

Leader Schumer could hold a vote at any time.

So you're blaming Schumer. Got it. Do you think it's because he knows how to count votes. Or do you believe he's just being lazy, or incompetent?

[former9thward]

47. If the votes are not there it means there are D Senators who do not support the nominees.

That is the math.

[NurseJackie]

49. Or others who are blocking it. How is all of this Biden's fault or Schumer's fault?

Or others who are blocking it. How is all of this Biden's fault or Schumer's fault? Look, I totally understand that this tedious process is frustrating and that everyone wants instant gratification right NOW. But what I don't understand is what good purpose does anyone think is being served by acting as though we were "PROMISED" something and somehow our leaders are reneging on a promise? Or going back on a pledge? Or that they don't care?

[left-of-center2012]

3. "mandates 6 days of service each week"

Wasn't Trump trying to cut it down to four days a week?

And didn't he want to turn mail delivery over to FedEx or UPS?

[634-5789]

5. YEP!

[SuperCoder]

4. Does this include firing DeJoy?

Because he needs to be gone ASAP.

[former9thward]

37. DeJoy is pushing this bill so it probably does not include his firing.

[deelee]

6. I don't understand why Dejoy is still there....

WTF is wrong w/Biden??????

[Demsrule86]

8. Do you follow this issue? The people needed to fire him have not been confirmed.

There is a political process you know. I suggest Google.

[former9thward]

36. You should follow the issue also.

There are three Biden appointees on the Board right now. They recently voted for a new Chairmain who is a DeJoy supporter.

[Demsrule86]

44. I do...I checked Biden's picks have not been approved yet.

'Although DeJoy has faced increasing calls to be fired since Biden took office, neither Congress nor the president can directly fire him. The postmaster general can only be removed by the USPS board of governors, which currently supports DeJoy. Biden nominated two new board members to replace DeJoy allies last November but the picks have yet to be confirmed by the Senate.'

[former9thward]

48. Biden nominated three people last spring.

They have been on the Board since last year.

[Demsrule86]

50. There are two nominated who are waiting to be approved...so far there are not enough votes...

there are rules as to the makeup of the board...it is explained on Google.

[Rhiannon12866]

9. It is not up to the president, it is up to a committee

Which until now was comprised of his cronies.

[Hortensis]

14. :) As we all know. Probably just slipped Deelee's mind.

[NurseJackie]

26. You're being very generous and gracious.

[NurseJackie]

25. Seriously? You're blaming BIDEN?

I don't understand

Yes.

[Demsrule86]

7. Do they mandate delivery six days a week or mandate people to work six days a week? And

forcing people on Medicare will not be popular and could cost us some votes. People with kids who are on their health care would rather be able to keep it...I am interested to see if it passes the Senate.

[blueinredohio]

12. Does anyone who is old enough to be on Medicare

have kids young enough to still be on their insurance? You're not on Medicare until 65.

[bottomofthehill]

32. Kids can stay on your insurance until 25

That means anyone who had a child past 40 could be in this position. I am willing to bet mostly males on second wives but yeas there is definitely a universe out there some female more make share this easily is an issue.

[Demsrule86]

45. Yes, there are several who work with my husband... and kids can stay on until 26.

[moose65]

15. I don't think that is a big issue

It says that about a quarter of Postal Service retirees don't sign up for Medicare, even when they're eligible, i.e. they have paid into the system. They are staying on a Postal Service plan instead of signing up for Medicare.

Medicare is a GOOD thing, not bad. Plus, how many retirees have children under the age of 25? I'd bet it's not a large group.

[Demsrule86]

46. People say that but I have looked into it and it is not that great for newbies...I am glad we have

have Medicare-don't get me wrong but the new plans are not as good as the ones grandfathered in for some here. You pay for Medicare part B which went up. Then you need a wrap that has deductibles and out-of-pocket costs and you need to pay for a pharmaceutical plan which won't cover everything either. It is expensive. And a husband and wife will pay for two such planes which by my reckoning will cost around $600.00 a month for anything decent...and there will still be costs.

Soon people won't have the money for original Medicare and will end up in Advantage plans. And some here have said that they can turn you down...I don't if that is true. But I do know if my husband and I had not paid the surgeon $1500.00, before surgery, my sister-in-law would not have had the surgery. So she wouldn't have been able to get it. She has original Medicare. And would owe thousands if she went to the hospital...her plan mandates some ridiculous amount of money to be paid between day one and some amount of time...I think it was day I think it was day 15...but not sure. She can't pay for that. So this year we signed her up for a Medicare Advantage plan which actually covers her Medicare part B and has a small out-of-pocket.

[moose65]

51. Be careful with Medicare Advantage

Medicare Advantage is NOT Medicare. They are plans issued by private health insurance companies, who, as we all know, have a tendency to screw people over.

It was my assumption that Postal Service employees should be able to sign up for Medicare, and then use the Postal Service health plan as a supplement.

I know that Medicare has some issues, but they need to be fixed, not ditched. Medicare Advantage weakens traditional Medicare.

[ashredux]

10. The Far Right has been trying to "kill" the Postal Service so they can Privatize it...

The absurd funding requirements they put in place years ago, and then Trump’s support for DeJoy almost succeed.

The Postal Service is not there to “make a profit”. It is a service that has been one of the major pillars of our economic system over the years. The far right want to privatize everything. That will be good for the wealthy folks who own it, but not for you and her

[Hortensis]

13. Yes! They were very close to eliminating

the USPS's very formidable competition and getting control of delivery services.

I love our postal service. Ben Franklin for goodness sakes, the Pony Express, free delivery to distant rural areas, even where people were few and most dirt poor. I think they finally retired their last horse not very long ago.

[Hortensis]

11. :) This is BIG and REALLY GOOD! It's so good and necessary that

it passed with bipartisan support even though greedy RW powers have been trying to destroy and take over the USPS for years.

WE did this by putting Democrats in power.

[moose65]

16. Amen!

Even though a lot of Republicans will vote for this, it never would have been proposed if Democrats didn't control Congress.

This is a GOOD thing!

[vercetti2021]

17. How do we know it'll pass?

We have the GQP and two turds in the punch bowl that can kill it

[Amishman]

31. Will was out of committee, after that is a much muddier road

I would put the odds of it making it to the Resolute Desk as rather long.

[GoCubsGo]

18. Does it eliminate the bullshit retirement funding requirement?

You know...the one that requires them to fund employee retirement 75 years into the future. That's the biggest thing that's been killing them before DeJoy got his filthy hands on them.

[KelleyKramer]

19. You should read the OP

It's very short, only three sentences .... and you will be surprised what it says

[GoCubsGo]

20. I did read the OP.

It says nothing about the retirement fund, only the health benefits. Perhaps you should re-read it yourself.

[KelleyKramer]

21. Healthcare is the biggest part of the retirement pre-funding

The same reason it also addresses Medicare, that's healthcare for retired people

[GoCubsGo]

22. I'm not talking about the healthcare.

I'm asking about the pre-funding of their pensions 75 years into the future, which is the biggest expense, not the healthcare. It became a requirement during the Bush Error.

[KelleyKramer]

23. Healthcare is the biggest expense in the retirement funding

[GoCubsGo]

27. Oh, ffs

All I asked was if they were still being forced to continue funding of their pensions 75 years into the future. I'm not asking about their goddamn healthcare. And, yes. Seventy-five years worth of pensions, for past, present, and future employees, many who aren't even born yet, is FAR more expensive than healthcare for current retirees.

[Carlitos Brigante]

28. I read elsewhere that it eliminates it. But don't have it in front of me. nt

[GoCubsGo]

29. Thank you! nt

[Carlitos Brigante]

30. .

.

[former9thward]

39. The Postal service never paid the retirement funding.

They have carried it on their books but never paid so it never affected their cash flow. In 2009 Congress waived the premium and in the years following the PO simply defaulted on the payment.

[Chainfire]

43. In ten years we can call the program a great failure

and turn the Postal Service over to private enterprise, run for profit, where it belongs.