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A Momentous Election Season

A Momentous Election Season
By Chuck Mulidore
NAPS Executive Vice President

One of my duties as executive vice president is to manage the NAPS legislative portfolio on behalf of our members. This means communicating NAPS’ legislative priorities to members of Congress and seeking to pass legislation that benefits not only working postal managers, supervisors and postmasters, but protects all postal and federal retirees, as well.

To accomplish this mission requires NAPS to have a political action committee to support those candidates and incumbent legislators who support our legislative agenda. Thus, in 1978, the NAPS Executive Board established the Supervisors’ Political Action Committee (SPAC) as the organization’s legislative fundraising arm. Since then, SPAC has raised millions of dollars to aid political candidates who support NAPS’ legislative priorities.

One of NAPS’ key legislative priorities this year has been passage of H.R. 3005 and its companion Senate bill, S. 3356, the Postal Police Reform Act. This bill clarifies the jurisdiction of postal police and would restore these officers’ law enforcement authority beyond their domicile facilities and to protect postal personnel, USPS assets and the mail.

In other words, to once again allow postal police to do the job they were created to do—and always did—until an ill-advised decision by the Postmaster General restricted their authority. The bill was introduced by Republican Congressman Andrew Garbarino from New York and has gained significant bipartisan support.

Our legislative efforts also include H.R. 594, the Postal Supervisors and Managers Fairness Act, which would provide for a timely start to pay consultations between the USPS and NAPS and that the findings and recommendations of a Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service fact-finding panel would be binding. H.R. 595, the Postal Employee Appeal Rights Amendment Act of 2023, would grant MSPB rights to those EAS employees who currently do not have the right to appeal an adverse action to the Merit Systems Protection Board.

H.R. 82, the Social Security Fairness Act of 2023, would repeal the Government Pension Offset (GPO) and Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP). The WEP is part of the Social Security statute that reduces Social Security benefits for individuals entitled to pension plans such as the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS). The GPO is part of the Social Security law that reduces Social Security survivor benefits for those eligible for annuities such as CSRS.

In 2024, NAPS has been involved like never before in supporting those legislators and candidates for office who not only support the Postal Service, but NAPS’ legislative agenda, as well. SPAC has made unprecedented investments in ensuring the U.S. House and Senate have members who reflect the values of NAPS members. So, as you see, NAPS has a strong, targeted legislative message on behalf of our members.

How do we make all this happen? Well, it’s you! Your contributions fund SPAC; without those dollars, NAPS’ legislative work could not happen. Thank you for your unprecedented investment in SPAC and the resulting growing influence NAPS has on Capitol Hill.

As we move into 2025, the work will continue. The keystone of our legislative agenda each year is the Legislative Training Seminar (LTS) that brings NAPS members from across the country to our nation’s capital to personally lobby members of Congress on behalf of postal and NAPS issues. The in-depth, multi-day training event educates NAPS members on current legislative and political issues confronting them and the Postal Service.

The comprehensive legislative instruction provided at LTS results in effective meetings with lawmakers and their staff members. In addition, key senators, representatives and USPS leadership address LTS delegates. The 2025 LTS will be April 6-8 at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, VA. Look for more information on LTS in coming months.

As November is a month of thanks, let us remember those who have served our country on Veterans Day, providing us the opportunity to live in the greatest country on Earth. Thank you, veterans!

And, of course, Thanksgiving Day is a time to celebrate with family, but also to give thanks for all the blessings of life, liberty and family. God bless America.