As Americans across the country wonder how long the so-called Schumer Shutdown will last, we have at least gotten clarity about a few things. Specifically, that some government services are essential and that many that have been suspended during this time are not. Museums close and DC employees go unpaid without affecting many Americans. But the further one gets from the Capital, the easier it is to see the difference.
Our nation’s men and women in uniform, both in the military and in law enforcement, continue working on the frontlines of national security and community safety. Health care services for our veterans, as well as support for Social Security, are also vital and continue unimpeded. And for Americans who aren’t on Social Security or in the military, the most recognized essential service that has continued to operate during the shutdown is the United States Postal Service (USPS).
America’s postal system was established in 1775 by the Second Continental Congress with Benjamin Franklin as the first postmaster general. It’s older than the US Treasury Department, even older than the Department of Defense (now named again the Department of War) and nearly 100 years older than the Department of Justice.
Over 238 years ago, our founders drafted Article 1, Section 8, Clause 7 of the Constitution, granting Congress the power “to establish Post Offices.” Our founders knew that it was important that the new federal government see to it that every American and every merchant could send messages and packages to any other American.
That need hasn’t gone away, especially in rural and remote parts of the country.
Blue cities such as Los Angeles, New York, or Chicago often brag about walkability – the option of residents to easily walk to pharmacies, restaurants and parks. But in the heartland of America, that’s simply not the case. Delivery services like FedEx and UPS know this, which is why they charge 20 or 30 dollars to send a letter or parcel from one farm in Nebraska to another in North Dakota.
In short, the Postal Service has lasted so long because it’s a critical part of America’s political, economic and social infrastructure. And that’s no overstatement. Americans use the USPS for their Christmas and Mother’s Day cards, to get prescription drugs and also to send payments for mortgages and credit cards. Imagine trying to do that with Federal Express. That would mean a large number of rural and working-class Americans would be locked out of mail delivery because the costs would become so prohibitive.
That’s certainly not to say that there aren’t financial challenges facing the USPS. This fall, it will be time for the Agency to report its annual financial report and we may see another multi-billion-dollar shortfall. In other words, it may end up that USPS revenues failed to cover growing costs. But this isn’t systemic. It’s the result of leadership decisions that can and should be reversed.
The last postmaster general, Louis DeJoy, adopted an “insourcing model,” i.e., he hired large numbers of employees to do more of the work in-house. In fact, the Postal Service now has more full-time employees than it had 20 years ago when it carried twice the volume of mail. He then compounded matters by spending billions on new processing centers that duplicate private sector capacity. This strategy has been a costly mistake.
Fortunately, there is a new Postmaster General: David Steiner. He must now take action to reverse the red before it is too late by ending the duplication of private sector infrastructure and shifting focus to what the USPS does best - last mile delivery. With package delivery, for instance, the Agency should instead let large mailers and shippers like Best Buy and Walmart drop off their items closer to the final destination instead of at regional clearing houses. Novel public/private partnerships like this will let the USPS focus on its core competency while letting more efficient private sector logistics companies manage the rest, allowing the postal service to reduce costs and increase on-time deliveries.
Since the USPS goes to every mailing address in the nation six days a week, it has a huge advantage for delivering certain parcels. As the new postmaster general, Mr. Steiner has an opportunity to redirect postal services' resources to maximize this advantage. This could save tens of billions of dollars and notably doesn’t require Congress to be in session to accomplish - just the leadership of the Postmaster General.
The Postal Service provides an essential service and has done so for 250 years. A government shutdown gives Americans a good reason to remember why it's lasted so long and why it continues to be needed.