WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 22, 2024) – Keep US Posted — a nonprofit advocacy group of consumers, nonprofits, newspapers, greeting card publishers, magazines, catalogs and small businesses — has awarded Congressmen Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO.) and Jake LaTurner (R-Kans.) with the second annual “Benjamin Franklin Award for Distinguished Leadership in Postal Policy.” The award — presented by Keep US Posted Executive Director and former Congressman Kevin Yoder (R-Kans.) during a special reception in Washington, D.C. — is given to members of Congress who have led efforts to preserve and protect the U.S. Postal Service for the Americans who rely on it.
Most recently, Rep. Cleaver has engaged on behalf of his constituents to challenge the poor mail delivery service in Kansas City and led a letter to the USPS Board of Governors questioning the onerous twice-a-year rate hikes that have led to alarming mail volume declines. Through his service on the Committee on Oversight and Accountability, Rep. LaTurner has worked on a bipartisan basis to encourage more hearings and challenge the rate policies that are killing off mail volume.
“Congressman Emanuel Cleaver represents Hallmark Cards’ worldwide headquarters in Kansas City and is thus no stranger to postal issues,” said Yoder. “I had the privilege of serving with him in Congress and greatly appreciated his partnership in the effort to save six-day mail delivery. The willingness of members in the Missouri and Kansas delegations to work on a bipartisan basis has always been a strong tradition, and Representative Cleaver has epitomized that ethos.”
“Congressman Jake LaTurner has had a substantial role in shaping postal policy through his service on the Committee on Oversight and Accountability to which he was appointed when he began his first term in 2021,” continued Yoder. “Jake has really engaged on postal issues and worked to bring the accountability to USPS that the name of the committee promises. He has also contributed to the tradition of working across the aisle.”
About Keep US Posted
Keep US Posted is a nonprofit advocacy group of consumers, nonprofits, newspapers, greeting card publishers, magazines, catalogs, and small businesses—all united in the belief that a reliable, affordable U.S. Postal Service is essential to our way of life and should be protected. Keep US Posted supports alternatives to current and future efforts to slow the mail and increase postage rates. To learn more about the organization and to get involved, visit www.KeepUSPosted.org.
