NRLCA President Puts Congress on Notice: Service Reductions Will Harm Rural America

ALEXANDRIA, Va., March 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Postmaster General David Steiner's testimony before Congress on Tuesday, March 17, made clear that the United States Postal Service is facing significant and immediate financial pressures that require congressional action. Just as importantly, his testimony underscored a fundamental choice before Congress.

One path relies on service reductions that would disproportionately harm rural communities; the other advances practical, common-sense reforms that address financial challenges without undermining the Postal Service's universal service obligation.

The National Rural Letter Carriers' Association (NRLCA) strongly opposes any approach that seeks to resolve USPS's financial issues through service reductions, given the outsized impact such measures would have on rural America. Rural delivery is not optional; it is a core component of the Postal Service's public service mandate to provide the same service at the same cost that postal customers in urban areas receive.

Since the establishment of Rural Free Delivery in 1896, this commitment has connected farm families and small towns to the broader national economy, expanded access to information and commerce, and reinforced the principle that every American, regardless of location, is entitled to reliable, affordable mail service.

That principle must continue to guide congressional action today. Rural customers rely on USPS for essential needs, including medications, financial instruments, ballots, legal documents, e-commerce, and official government correspondence. When service is reduced, rural communities are affected first and most severely. Proposals that diminish delivery standards, limit access, or shift additional burdens onto rural areas depart from more than a century of national policy and undermine the universal service obligation at the heart of the Postal Service.

NRLCA urges Congress to pursue pragmatic reforms that strengthen USPS while preserving service. Specifically, the Association supports increasing the Postal Service's borrowing authority to ensure adequate liquidity in addressing near-term financial challenges. NRLCA also advocates for a fair reallocation of the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) liability, which has long distorted USPS's financial position, and supports broader diversification of CSRS and Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) investment strategies to improve long-term returns through prudent, modern investment practices.

NRLCA looks forward to working with Congress to advance these reforms and to develop additional solutions that ensure the Postal Service can continue serving future generations. Long-term financial stability must not come at the expense of the essential services Americans depend upon. NRLCA urges Congress to reject proposals that would weaken service and instead collaborate with stakeholders to implement reforms that preserve USPS's ability to serve all Americans.

About the NRLCA: Established in 1903, the National Rural Letter Carriers' Association (NRLCA) represents approximately 130,000 career and non-career rural letter carriers operating from more than 10,500 rural and suburban postal delivery units, serving over 85,000 rural routes. www.nrlca.org 

CONTACT: Iain Gold, [email protected], (202) 437-0963

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SOURCE National Rural Letter Carriers' Association