NAPS Chat

NAPS Chat

Weekly Legislative Insights Podcast

NAPS Chat is a weekly podcast intended to inform NAPS members about the latest legislative and political goings-on within our nation’s capital. Hosted by NAPS Director of Legislative and Political Affairs, Bob Levi, naps.rl@naps.org. You can subscribe to NAPS Chat on iTunes and Spotify.

May 1, 2026 | Episode 242

Fulfilling the Postal Promise of Universal Service and Financial Stability 

Elena Patel, Co-Director of the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center and Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institute, joins Bob to discuss the extraordinary economic impact the Postal Service has on rural and postal-reliant communities, as well as the importance of the agency's universal service obligation to the entire country. Elena and Bob also talk about the difficulty the Postal Service has in effectively meeting this obligation in light of its current financial pressures, and potential fixes. Dr. Patel has recently authored two scholarly papers on the Postal Service.  

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Dr. Elena Patel -  Co-Director of the Urban-Brookings Tax Center, Pozen Director's Chair, Senior Fellow in Economic Studis at the Brookings Institute

Episodes