House Blocks OPM Reorganization Plan a Second Time 
 
This week, the House of Representatives further asserted its opposition to the administration’s plan to reorganize OPM, passing the NDAA with an amendment that blocks OPM from taking “any action” to reorganize the agency. Specifically, the amendment blocks OPM from transferring or merging any functions, responsibilities, programs, staff or resources, among other items, to the General Services Administration (GSA) or the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). On Monday, NARFE sent a letter to the House of Representatives urging it to support the amendment, which was introduced by Reps. Gerry Connolly, D-VA, Don Beyer, D-VA, and Eleanor Holmes Norton, D-DC.
 
The administration’s OPM reorganization plan aims to fold the agency’s federal workforce policy functions into the Executive Office of the President, endangering the merit-based civil service by subjecting policy decisions to direct political influence under this administration and all those to come. The plan would also move OPM’s programmatic functions, including vital services such as federal retirement and health insurance programs, to GSA. The proposal puts these important functions at dire risk of losing the dedicated focus and resources necessary to properly serve the federal community. NARFE has opposed the plan at every turn, including in testimony in May from NARFE President Ken Thomas at a hearing before the House Oversight and Reform Subcommittee on Government Operations, where he noted major issues with the proposal. Contact your members of Congress today and urge them to oppose the OPM reorganization plan.               7/14/2019

Peters, Moran Reintroduce Bipartisan Resolution Opposing              Privatization of the United States Postal Service
 

                                                                        March 7, 2019

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI), Ranking Member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and Jerry Moran (R-KS) today led 23 of their Senate colleagues to reintroduce a bipartisan resolution opposing privatization of the United States Postal Service (USPS). The resolution notes that the USPS is a self-sustaining establishment and that potential privatization would result in higher prices and reduced services for USPS customers, especially in rural communities.
 
“Since 1775, the United States Postal Service and its dedicated employees – including over 100,000 of our nation’s veterans – have performed an essential government service, maintaining an affordable and universal network that connects households and businesses in rural, suburban and urban communities,” Senator Peters said. “Congress should take all appropriate measures to prevent privatization and ensure the Postal Service remains a strong institution that will serve the American people for generations to come.”

   The full list of bipartisan cosponsors joining Peters and Moran includes U.S. Senators Tom Carper (D-DE), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Tina Smith (D-MN), Susan Collins (R-ME), Doug Jones (D-AL), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Roy Blunt (R-MO), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Pat Roberts (R-KS), Angus King (I-ME), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Tom Udall (D-NM), Jack Reed (D-RI), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Jon Tester (D-MT), Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH).  

United Postmasters and Managers of America supports H.R. 141, the Social Security Fairness Act for the 116^th Congress. Many UPMA current and future retired members are impacted by the GPO and WEP provision in the current Social Security Act. This Legislation would eliminate 2 titles of the Social Security Act, the Government Pension Offset (GPO) and the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) which unfairly reduce or eliminate Social Security Benefits for millions of Americans that dedicated much of their careers to public service.

Contact your congressional representative asking that they cosponsor H.R. 141.    Thank you

Frank Augustosky

Membership Director UPMA

faugustosky@unitedpma.org

Review the “Invitation to Cosponsor H.R. 141 Social Security Fairness Act’ (PDF)

United States Postal Service: A Sustainable Path Forward           Report from the Task Force on the 

          United States Postal System

                   as required by President Trump's Executive Order

open the followink link please

ANTI PRIVATIZATION RESOLUTION S Res 633    9/20/2018

            Posted by Bob Levi, www.unitedpma.org
On Tuesday evening, Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) introduced S.Res. 633, a Senate resolution to ensure that the U.S. Postal Service remains a governmental service and is not subject to privatization. As introduced, the resolution earned the bipartisan cosponsorship of 27 Senators. 
                S.Res 633 is the Senate companion to H.Res. 933, which presently has 190 cosponsors. Both measures point out that postal privatization, as being proposed by the White House, would result in higher postage rates, reduce service to rural communities, jeopardize e-commerce, and cripple a part of America's infrastructure.  
              UPMA members should call their Senators and Representative to cosponsors either H.Res 993 or S. Res. 633, if they have already not done so. (Use the provided links above to determine if your Representative or Senator is a cosponsor.) The number of the U.S. Capitol Switchboard is 202-224-3121