Congressman Gerry Connolly, D-Fairfax, Prince William has never liked the idea of reducing mail service from six to five days per week.
Now he said the move would simply be illegal, according to a report from the GAO.
More in a press release:
The claim by the Postmaster General that the U.S. Postal Service has the right to cut its mail delivery schedule from six-to-five days “rests upon a faulty USPS premise” and there is no legislative authority from Congress allowing the change, the Government Accountability Office said today in a legal opinion requested by Congressman Gerald E. Connolly (VA-11).
“The GAO legal opinion clearly rejects the Postal Service’s attempt to circumvent the law,” Connolly said.
In its letter to Connolly, GAO says that USPS is bound by current law and the current Continuing Resolution to fund the federal government requires “USPS to continue 6-day delivery and rural delivery of mail at not less than the 1983 level.”
“This impartial and definitive GAO legal opinion makes it crystal clear that USPS cannot operate outside the legislative authority of Congress and unilaterally implement a change in delivery service that many believe will not only disrupt mail service, but also exacerbate USPS revenue losses and contribute to the decline of this constitutionally-mandated service to all Americans,” Connolly said.
In February, the U.S. Postal Service announced it would reduce delivery service of regular mail to Monday through Friday only. Packages and mail addressed to P.O. Boxes would still be delivered on Saturdays.
