
The United States Postal Service is on the brink of a self-induced collapse. The failed policies of the Delivering for America Plan have driven away customers through a combination of sky-high rate increases and degraded service. David Steiner, who will take over as Postmaster General on July 14, 2025, has a tough job to do and little time to do it, with some estimates indicating the USPS could be insolvent as soon as 2028.
Congress has a key role to play in helping him right the ship, but must get off the sidelines and act. A useful step occurred earlier this week with a hearing before the House Oversight Subcommittee on Government Operations. The National Newspaper Association (NNA) provided a statement for the hearing that lays out key actions Congress can take to help restore the USPS.
We emphasized that NNA members serve their communities, providing news on local events and civic matters that are not covered anywhere else, and that they depend on the USPS to get their papers to subscribers. The USPS — and by extension the small businesses in the communities they serve — faces an immediate and existential crisis. We urge Congress to act swiftly and compel meaningful reform at the USPS.
Here are three actions Congress can take right now to get the USPS back on track and keep commerce in America moving:
- Demand the USPS Board halt the Delivering for America Plan, including the large rate increase planned for July 13, 2025. This increase, far above the rate of inflation will only deepen the hole and ties the hands of incoming Postmaster General David Steiner, who should have the opportunity to assess the situation. The same holds true for the network consolidations and service cuts. Every customer that is lost through these increases and service reductions is one less Steiner can rely on in the future.
- Modernize and empower the USPS regulator. Effective checks and balances are needed to keep the USPS on track. Congress needs to update and modernize the postal regulatory process to better safeguard against excessive rates and poor service by passing H.R. 3004, The USPS SERVES US Act.
- Measure newspaper costs accurately. Congress should compel accurate measurement of newspaper service and hold the USPS accountable for maintaining and improving service quality by enacting H.R. 2098/S.1002, the Deliver for Democracy Act
These are all commonsense steps Congress can take to address what has been clearly a failed approach by USPS management. Steiner has a huge job ahead of him and will need all the help he can get.
Congress must act now to make sure the nation’s next Postmaster General is not the last one.
By Martha Diaz Aszkenazy, Chair, National Newspaper Association
Publisher, The San Fernando Valley (California) Sun/El Sol Newspapers
Headshot image available here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1enmZjAa0Kegv7y3SQC9Ddl5CVSRT_2w_?usp=sharing
NENPA Joins National Call to Protect Journalists Covering Protests
As protest activity spreads throughout New England and across the country, the New England Newspaper & Press Association (NENPA) has joined with 59 other press freedom and journalism organizations in calling on government leaders to ensure law enforcement personnel are properly trained to respect journalists’ First Amendment rights during mass demonstrations.
The joint letter — organized by the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press (RCFP) — was sent to federal, state, and local officials following multiple reports of journalists being injured, detained, or possibly targeted while covering protests in Los Angeles. Such actions, the coalition warns, may violate constitutional protections for newsgathering and free speech.
The letter outlines a series of best-practice protocols for law enforcement agencies to adopt when interacting with journalists at mass demonstrations. These include ensuring officers understand the legal rights of journalists, providing designated law enforcement contacts for press-related issues at protest sites, and preventing unnecessary arrests or interference with reporters performing their jobs. The coalition emphasizes that protecting journalists’ ability to cover these events serves both public safety interests and the public’s fundamental right to access information.
NENPA, which represents more than 450 daily, weekly, and specialty newspapers across Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont, continues to advocate for strong press protections as journalists cover fast-moving developments throughout the region.
Read the full letter from NENPA and the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press here.