NFU: USPS to Raise Postage Rates

First class postage stamps will soon cost 58 cents, up from 55 cents, as part of a larger overhaul to offset the U.S. Postal Service’s (USPS) $136.1 billion debt.

In addition to raising postal rates, Postmaster General DeJoy has also proposed slowing the delivery of first class mail, cutting staff, and shortening business hours for some post office locations.

Though National Farmers Union (NFU) supports “raising first class postage rates consistently and concurrently with bulk mailing or second class rates,” the organization is concerned about Postmaster DeJoy’s general approach, which could disproportionately harm rural residents who depend on USPS to cash checks, receive medications, conduct business, vote, and do other essential tasks that may not be easy to do in person in their communities. In particular, the organization opposes any changes that would reduce the frequency, extent, or reliability of mail delivery. Instead of making proposed changes, NFU is urging other methods to address USPS’s financial issues, such as reversing excessive advance pension funds, finding new revenue streams, and reestablishing postal banking

About NFU

National Farmers Union advocates on behalf of nearly 200,000 American farm families and their communities. We envision a world in which farm families and their communities are respected, valued, and enjoy economic prosperity and social justice.

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