Postmaster Urges Changes in Bill

United Parcel Service and the U.S. Postal Service are hard at work trying to shape the future of postal delivery in the United States.

Postmaster General William Henderson fired the latest salvo at a Feb. 11 hearing before the House Postal Service Subcommittee, suggesting numerous changes in postal reform legislation sponsored by the subcommittee’s chairman, Bill McHugh (R-N.Y.). The biggest change would retain the ability of the Postal Service Board of Directors to structure the way it prices and market its products such as express mail and parcel post.

McHugh’s legislation would give the Postal Service greater flexibility to meet increasing pressures from competing services while ensuring fair competition and protecting the public interest. The legislation relaxes restrictions on contracting for the transportation of mail and subjects the agency to increased government regulation.

UPS spokesman Tad Segal said the proposed Postal Service amendments would give the agency too much flexibility in setting its rates and undermine the Postal Rate Commission’s ability to ensure that charges are fair.