Let the Postal Service Operate Like a Business

2026-05-14T20:19:00Z

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The U.S. Postal Service’s financial woes are largely caused by government interference.

Regarding your editorial “The USPS Is Going Bust. Blame Congress” (May 12): Your conclusion to let Postmaster General David Steiner “run the business like a business” is right-on. Over 70% of the Postal Service’s losses stem from congressional mandates.

Its operations are hampered by outmoded regulations. The U.S. Postal Service doesn’t have access to traditional credit or capital markets; its only line of credit has been with the Federal Financing Bank. Congress in 1991 set a debt limit of $15 billion, and that capacity is exhausted. In today’s dollars, this limit would be over $30 billion.

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Source: https://www.wsj.com/opinion/let-the-postal-service-operate-like-a-business-96eadb5d