More Postal Service reliability is the goal of major legislation passed by the House and sent to the Senate. It would lift onerous budget requirements that have helped push them deeply into debt, among other aspects. And it had unusual bi-partisan support, including from Nevada County’s Congressman, Doug LaMalfa…

click to listen to Doug LaMalfa

The bill would end a requirement that the Postal Service finance, in advance, healthcare benefits for current as well as retired workers for the next 75 years. That’s an obligation, imposed in 2006, that private companies and other federal agencies don’t face. That also ended up being the year that mail volume peaked and finances steadily declined. Those payments haven’t been made in ten years, meaning unpaid obligations of 63-billion dollars. LaMalfa says the legislation forgives much of that debt…

click to listen to Doug LaMalfa

Also notable, the bill requires the six-day mail delivery schedule to continue.