Cuyahoga County, Ohio (WJW) – For nearly 250 years, US postal services have been a fundamental part of American life, ensuring mail delivery to all households, regardless of location.
But now, the agency may still face one of its biggest threats. This is a potential reform that could redefine or dismantle its role within the country.
A recent report from The Washington Post suggests that President Donald Trump is considering issuing an executive order to dissolve the Post Office’s management committee. On Friday, Trump said the U.S. Post Office could be under the control of the Department of Commerce for what would be the administrative takeover of an agency that has been operating as an independent entity since 1970.
“We want to have a post office that works well and doesn’t lose a ton of money,” Trump said. Postal service, and I think it works much better. ”
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The move effectively places the agency directly under White House control, raising concerns about future operations and postal delivery nationwide.
The post office was created during the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia in 1775, when Benjamin Franklin became the first postmaster. In 1872, Congress named it the administrative division. But that changed after an eight-day postal strike on wages and benefits when President Richard Nixon signed the Postal Reorganization Act in 1970.
In recent years, the post office has fought against Trump and the calls for it to be privatized, as it has struggled to float from time to time.
Erick Poston, president of Cuyahoga County’s National Letter Career Association, said such decisions are disastrous not only for USPS workers, but also for millions of Americans who rely on postal services, especially in rural communities. It warns that it could have consequences.
“They may not be served. Poston may have to drive to Nexstar’s WJW for 30 minutes to an hour just to go to the urban community to get emails, packages and prescriptions. There have been reports that there are no.
Last year, postmaster Louis DeJoy warned customers to expect hiking at “unpleasant” rates as postal services aim to stabilize their finances, and they tried to stabilize their finances. We have announced a 10-year plan to do so.
Critics, including members of several state legislative councils, say the initial integration slows down services and further integration could particularly hurt rural postal delivery.
The fate of postal workers remains uncertain. Urban areas may retain employment due to population density, but Post-On warns that nothing is guaranteed.
Trump has been a post office critic since his first term. In 2020, he threatened to block it from Covid-19 relief funds, unless he quadrupled the package rate he charges large customers like Amazon, owned by billionaire Jeff Bezos. I did. Bezos also owns the Washington Post, whose reports rank Trump.
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More recently, Trump meditated in December about privatizing services, taking into account the competition he faced from Amazon, UPS, FedEx and others.
“It’s an idea that a lot of people have had for a long time. We’re looking at it,” the president said.
Currently, federal law requires six-day postal delivery to all US addresses, regardless of profitability. But privatization could change that.
Poston warns that if USPS is privatized, ripple effects will be felt nationwide.
“So, since the post office is in the constitution, I think Congress has to change some rules. Everyone who delivers to all US addresses is receiving the same level of service,” he explained. did.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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