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Charging Into 2022, Legislatively Speaking!

Charging Into 2022, Legislatively Speaking!
By Chuck Mulidore
NAPS Executive Vice President

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

Accomplishing 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 our key legislative priorities this year has been passage of H.R. 3076, as well as its companion bill in the Senate, S. 1720. The chairmen and ranking members of the House and Senate committees with jurisdiction over postal matters have introduced this bipartisan legislation with the goal of bringing financial stability to the U.S. Postal Service.

H.R. 3076 promotes key NAPS priorities, which include repealing the mandate to prefund retiree health premiums, fair integration of FEHBP and Medicare for future postal retirees and the protection of universal, sustainable and affordable postal products. H.R. 3076 already has been approved by the House Committee on Oversight and Reform. NAPS continues to lobby members of the House and Senate to pass these bipartisan legislative proposals.

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 lobby members of Congress personally 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 leaders address LTS delegates. This year, LTS will be March 27-29 at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, VA.

As you can see, NAPS has a strong, targeted legislative message on behalf of our members. How do we make all this happen? Well, it’s up to you! Your contributions fund SPAC; without those dollars, NAPS’ legislative work could not happen. As we move closer to the 2022 midterm elections, funding SPAC becomes even more critical.

How can you help? NAPS regular, associate and Auxiliary members are eligible to contribute to SPAC. You can contribute online or send a check or money order to NAPS Headquarters. If you are a working EAS NAPS member, we encourage you to sign up for easy payroll deductions through our “Drive for 5” program. We make it easy and your dollars help improve your working conditions and secure your retirement into the future. Postal annuitants also can sign up for “Drive for 5.”

Visit the NAPS online Legislative Center for more valuable information. Help us charge into 2022!