WASHINGTON, DC — 66/15/26 – As the United States Postal Service (USPS) continues to face a severe financial crisis, Government Operations Subcommittee Ranking Member Kweisi Mfume (MD-07), Subcommittee Chairman Pete Sessions (TX-17), and Congressman James R. Walkinshaw (VA-11), a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, led a bipartisan letter to Postmaster General David Steiner pressing USPS to provide Congress with five-year financial and service projections.
The letter follows Postmaster General Steiner’s March 17, 2026, testimony before the Subcommittee, where he agreed, in response to questioning from Congressman Walkinshaw, to provide Congress with five-year financial projections in the form of multi-scenario analyses. Despite that commitment, USPS has not yet provided the requested data.
While a response from the Postal Service to Congress dated June 2, 2026, repeated USPS’ requests for additional support, it again did not provide the requested data, projections, and financial information.
In fiscal year 2025, USPS reported a $9 billion net loss and reached its $15 billion maximum borrowing authority from the U.S. Treasury Department. The Government Accountability Office has warned that, without significant changes, USPS could run out of cash as soon as 2027.
The lawmakers emphasized that USPS is an essential public service relied on by Americans in every community to receive medications, ballots, financial bills, and other critical services.
“As part of that commitment, we request that you provide the Postal Service’s five-year financial and service projections, which you previously agreed to provide during your appearance before the Subcommittee, and in a subsequent letter to the Subcommittee,” the lawmakers wrote.
The lawmakers requested updated projections that include scenario modeling on potential cost-cutting measures, including the financial impact of suspending planned capital investments under the Delivering for America plan, deferring scheduled retirement obligation payments, and implementing additional cost-cutting measures discussed with the Committee.
They also raised concern that USPS recently suspended employer contributions to the Federal Employees Retirement System, affecting the retirement security of postal workers, while continuing major capital investments under the Delivering for America plan.
“Postal Service employees are already being asked to bear the burden of the Postal Service’s financial situation,” the lawmakers wrote. “On April 9, 2026, the Postal Service announced it is suspending employer contributions to the Federal Employees Retirement System, putting the retirement security of hundreds of thousands of postal workers at risk.”
The lawmakers said Congress needs the requested projections to understand the financial impact of USPS’ proposals, evaluate potential reforms, protect reliable service, and improve the Postal Service’s long-term stability.
“To implement reforms that would improve the Postal Service’s long-term financial stability, Congress must be equipped with clear data detailing the anticipated financial effects of the proposals you provided us with in your recent testimony,” the lawmakers wrote.
The letter requests that USPS provide the five-year financial and service projections within two weeks.
Text of the letter can be viewed here
