WASHINGTON — Representative Dale Strong (AL-05) issued the following statement regarding the introduction of the Senate companion to his legislation, H.R. 9936, the Postal Executive Responsibility, Fiscal Oversight, and Results-based Management (PERFORM) Act, by Senators Katie Britt (R-AL) and Tommy Tuberville (R-AL).
“Alabamians deserve a Postal Service that delivers their mail on time and a Postmaster General who is accountable for results,” said Congressman Strong. “With Alabama’s entire congressional delegation united behind this effort, we’re sending a clear message: it’s time for the U.S. Postal Service to deliver.”
In announcing his introduction of the PERFORM Act, Representative Strong previously stated:
“The American people don’t get bonuses for failure, and neither should the Postmaster General. The PERFORM Act ends the practice of rewarding poor performance and makes clear that leadership must earn incentive pay by delivering results – not excuses,” said Representative Strong. “If the U.S. Postal Service were a private sector operation, it would have filed for bankruptcy years ago. Further, if a CEO’s tenure saw an average annual net loss of $10 billion while service standards continued to decline, company leadership would be standing in the unemployment line – not collecting performance bonuses.”
The U.S. Postal Service has reported more than $25 billion in net losses over the past three fiscal years, including a $9 billion loss in Fiscal Year 2025. At the same time, millions of Americans have faced delays in receiving medications, bills, checks, legal documents, election mail, and other time-sensitive correspondence.
Despite these persistent service failures and financial losses, the Postmaster General remains eligible for a performance-based bonus, continuing a pattern in which Postmaster Generals have received more than $2 million in bonuses over the past decade.
The PERFORM Act restores accountability by prohibiting a performance-based bonus for the Postmaster General if, during the preceding fiscal year, the Postal Service:
- Fails to meet nationwide service performance targets;
- Reports a net loss;
- Receives a material weakness, adverse audit opinion, or disclaimer in its financial audit; or
- Fails to submit a required report to Congress.
Original House cosponsors of the PERFORM Act include Representatives Barry Moore (AL-01), Shomari Figures (AL-02), Mike Rogers (AL-03), Robert Aderholt (AL-04), Gary Palmer (AL-06), and Terri Sewell (AL-07).
Since taking office, Congressman Strong has led numerous efforts to improve mail service and strengthen accountability at the U.S. Postal Service, including:
- Securing a USPS Office of Inspector General audit of mail delivery performance, staffing levels, and operational bottlenecks affecting North Alabama in the Fiscal Year 2027 Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act.
- Directing USPS to review unique ZIP Code designations for communities including Priceville and Skyline to better reflect municipal boundaries and improve service.
- Advocating for a new post office in the 35763 ZIP Code to meet the needs of one of Alabama’s fastest-growing areas.
- Leading efforts to restore a North Alabama-based Processing and Distribution Center to strengthen mail service and improve delivery reliability.
Some form of this bill will pass when reconciled with Senate versions, and it should. Postal employees for years have known about not only management incompetence, but the many ways they enrich themselves on the USPS dime. This organization needs a major restructuring in the worst way, and they can thank Steiner for this. He did inherit a challenging situation but has only made it much worse and now that his back is up against the wall, he’s doubled down on obfuscation and even lies to congressional committees. How long the BOG supports him is anybody’s guess, but Congress and the American people do not. Nobody’s buying what this guy is selling.
When this bill meets Hawley’s bill at conference it’s going to be interesting to see how strong the final bill will be. The USPS will fudge the numbers, as they do now, so they must be careful to ensure it doesn’t happen. It’s troubling that the BOG have gone silent when their input and opinions are sorely needed. Steiner lies with abandon about nearly everything he’s asked, from a hiring freeze to Senator Paul to scores are going up to the BOG, who should know better but sit in stone silence as Rome burns around them. Thankfully it’s Congress that will have the say so and not the BOG. Fortunately for Stone and Hawley, OIG reports will continue to be released and it’s a certainty that they will be bad for the USPS. Steiner had his honeymoon, it’s now time for a divorce.