[20070122]RS22573_The Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act.pdf

1 CRS Report RL31069, Postal Service Financial Problems and Stakeholder Proposals, by NyeStevens. On the postal reform movement, see CRS Report RL33618, Postal Reform, by KevinR. Kosar.2 Michael Schuyler, “The Postal Wage Premium: No Wonder the Postal Service Loses Money,”IRET Congressional Advisory no. 131, Institute for Research on the Economics of Taxation(Washington: July 24, 2002).3 U.S. General Accounting Office, U.S. Postal Service: Financial Outlook and TransformationChallenges, GAO Testimony 01-733T, May 15, 2001; U.S. Congress, House Committee on(continued.)Order Code RS22573January 22, 2007The Postal Accountability and Enhancement ActKevin R. KosarAnalyst in American National GovernmentGovernment and Finance DivisionSummaryPresident George W. Bush signed the Postal Enhancement and Accountability Act(P.L. 109-435) on December 20, 2006. This report briefly describes Congresss pursuitof postal reform, summarizes the major provisions of the new postal reform law, andidentifies possible P.L. 109-435 oversight issues for Congress.Pursuit of Postal ReformA number of factors encouraged the movement for postal reform, which culminatedin the enactment of the Postal Accountability