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.

September 18, 2026 | Episode 249

Is History Prologue? Revisiting the 2003 "President's Commission on the U.S. Postal Service"

Dennis Shea, former executive director of the 2003 Presidential Commission on the U.S. Postal Service, joins Bob to revisit the recommendations of the panel established by former President George W. Bush and reminisce about the panel's deliberations. The commission's report, Embracing the Future: Making the Tough Choices to Preserve Universal Mail Service, is now about 23 years old.  Dennis and Bob dust it off and discuss whether the commission's conclusions still resonate and whether it's time for another high-level panel to take a look at the Postal Service. 

Dennis Shea is currently Executive Vice President at the Bipartisan Policy Center, a prestigious Washington-based think tank that promotes bipartisan politics and policy.  Dennis' views, as expressed on NAPS Chat, do not necessarily reflect those of the Center.

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Dennis Shea, former Executive Director of the 2003 "President's Commission on the U.S. Postal Service" 

Episodes

Epsiode 236 January 9, 2026 --"Priming for 2026 NAPS Legislative Advocacy" with NAPS Executive Vice President Chuck Mulidore

Episode 237 January 23, 2026 -- "Is the Postal Service Still Sustainable?" with Government Accountability Office (GAO) Director of Physical Infrastructure David Marroni

Episode 238 February 13, 2026 -- "Measuring Postal Performance and Effectiveness" with Snailworks President Dave Lewis 

Episode 239 March 12, 2026 -- "The Latest Postal News, NAPS Legislative Conference, House Postal Hearing and Congressional Postal Roundtable" with NAPS President Ivan Butts

Episode 240 March 26 2026 -- "Reflecting on the State of the Postal Service" with NALC President Brian Renfroe

Episode 241 April 20 2026 -- "Maximizing Opportunities for Legislative and Political Engagement" with George Barrett, 2026 NAPS Gold Standard Legislative Leadership Awardee 

Episode 242 May 1 2026 -- "Fulfilling the Postal Promise of Universal Service and Financial Stability" with Elena Patel of the Brookings Institute

Episode 243 May 20 2026 -- "The Congressional Postal Caucus Delivers for America" with Rep. Jack Bergman (R-MI), co-chair of the Congressional Postal Service Caucus

Episode 244 June 11 2026 -- "Reflections on Congressional Leadership and the Postal Service" with Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD), former House of Representatives Majority Leader

Episode 245 June 29 2026 -- "1776: An American Postal System Delivering Independence" with USPS Historians Steve Kochersperger and Junemarie Brandt

Episode 246 July 16 2026 -- "Preparing for the 2026 NAPS National Convention" with Sheri Davies of ConferenceDirect 

Episode 247 August 4 2026 -- "Options to Address the Postal Service's Financial Woes" with David Garcia of the Postal Service Office of Inspector General

Episode 248 September 2 2026 -- "Newly NAPS Elected Executive Vice President Jimmy Warden Discusses Crucial Postal Issues"