The Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006 that helped manufacture a financial crisis at USPS was passed by Congress with only a voice vote. This was a plan that many believed would be the begin- ning of privatizing the Postal Service, not enhancing it. Looking at the plan, it utilized more contract drivers, caused massive downsizing of mail processing facilities, forced over a $5 billion annual payment to the Treasury each year and helped our competitors.
Between 2006 and 2012 the USPS downsized over 284 facilities by taking out their mail processing equip- ment. In 2012, management proposed an additional 82 facilities to consolidate, calling it Phase 2. Phase 2 could not be done without adversely affecting the transportation network and ending overnight delivery of first-class mail within a geographical area from the facility. Over 69 of the plants had their canceling ma- chines (AFCS) taken out, forcing the raw mail arriving to their facility to be transported by truck to another understaffed facility with minimal space that on aver- age is between 2-4 hours away. This caused further delays of that mail, and required the USPS to reduce the service standards in 2015.