The Senate is set to pass legislation as soon as today to bolster the U.S. Postal Service’s flagging finances. The measure was supported by Democrats and Republicans and will then head to President Joe Biden’s desk, having already cleared the House in February.
Securing any bipartisan agreement in this town is a rare event, worthy of some celebration. But as someone who has watched the debate over the Postal Service for nearly 20 years, this one feels rather hollow.
The legislation will not change the Post Office in any way readily observable to the public. Uniformed letter carriers will continue to bring mail and boxes to American homes and post office boxes six days per week. Post offices will remain the drab retail outlets, and the plagues of mail theft and slipshod delivery performance presumably will continue.