The U.S. Post Office is considering a controversial reform in an attempt to put itself on firmer financial footing.
During a hearing before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on Tuesday, Postmaster General Megan Brennan said the agency is considering scaling back mail deliver to five days per week, from the current six, as it works on a plan to shore up its financial situation.
As part of that plan, the Post Office would deliver packages seven days per week. Parcels are increasing by one million new deliveries per year, though they remain a small portion of the agency’s overall business.
Meanwhile, a decline in first class mail volume is credited with exacerbating losses at the agency, which ended fiscal 2018 with a net loss of $3.9 billion.
Lawmakers were quick to dismiss the idea, including Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., who asked Brennan whether she told the board working on the plan that “that dog won’t hunt,” calling the proposal “very concerning.”
“I understand it from a financial standpoint,” Meadows said. “But I don’t understand how you can say that your primary objective is to deliver mail – and that packages are a follow-on – and yet you’re going to put the priority on seven-day delivery for packages.”