Press Releases

Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Representatives Gwen Moore (D-WI) and Marcia Fudge (D-OH) introduced the “Fair and Equitable Postal Service Access Act,” legislation to require the Postal Service to consider the needs of the most vulnerable in communities affected by proposals to close Post Offices. 

In Milwaukee, the Postal Service has proposed to close or consolidate five post offices concentrated in the city’s north side in a predominantly lower-income African American neighborhood. 

“My bill is common sense legislation that will require the Postal Service to take the particular needs of a community, especially those who are elderly, low-income, or without access to transportation, into account when it makes a decision about closing a post office,” Rep. Moore said.  “For many in my district, local post offices provide a range of services that they simply may not have the resources or ability to access elsewhere.” 

"I'm happy to join my colleague on this bill that will help ensure post office closings will not disproportionately harm elderly and low-income populations,” Rep. Fudge said. “These are the people least able to utilize online resources or other means, but let's not forget that closure of any post offices will mean job losses."

The Fair and Equitable Postal Service Access Act would:

•    Require the Postal Service to specifically consider when reviewing whether a post office should be closed or consolidated if such a move would decrease access to postal or non-postal services for elderly individuals, economically disadvantaged individuals, individuals with limited mobility, or individuals without reliable and affordable access to the Internet.

•    Explicitly require the Postal Service to address the impact that closing or consolidating post offices would have on these groups. 

•    Prevent the Postal Service from closing or consolidating retail post offices if it would result in a disproportionate, unreasonable, or undue burden on the elderly, economically disadvantaged, or individuals lacking access to transportation or the Internet. 

The Postal Service has proposed closing some 3,600 out of its over 38,000 retail facilities.  

“Federal law already makes clear that the postal service shall not make ‘any undue or unreasonable discrimination among’ postal users,” said Moore,  “This legislation puts teeth into that law by requiring greater scrutiny of the impact on vulnerable populations that are too often not considered."