USPS drops truth bomb on mail delivery during potential government shutdown

THE federal government is eyeing a potential shutdown due to stark disagreements between the Democratic and Republican parties, putting certain services at risk of temporary closure.

Amid talk of the shutdown, USPS has dropped a truth bomb regarding how the Postal Service would be impacted should the government pause its operations.

Reuters

Reuters

USPS is an independent agency of the federal government’s executive branch, officially launched when the Postal Reorganization Act was passed into law in 1970.

The organization is legally required to provide mail service to every address in the country regardless of profitability, even though USPS does not receive taxpayer money to fund its operations. 

Unlike many other government agencies, USPS is self-funded and mainly relies on the revenue it makes from postage and other services to keep running. 

Many Americans are wondering if the agency’s mailing services will be disrupted as the government is once again on the brink of a shutdown, with lawmakers racing to come to an agreement on the federal budget ahead of the 2025 fiscal year’s end on Tuesday.

Thanks to USPS’ funding structure, the agency will not be affected should the federal government shut down.

“US Postal Service operations will not be interrupted in the event of a government shutdown, and all Post Offices will remain open for business as usual,” the mail delivery agency said in a statement last week.

“Because we are an independent entity that is generally funded through the sale of our products and services, and not by tax dollars, our services will not be impacted by a government shutdown.”

WHY A SHUTDOWN?

The government shuts down when Congress is unable to agree upon the budget for federal agencies and programs for the new fiscal year, which is quickly approaching on October 1.

Congress has yet to agree on a short-term funding bill, with President Trump and congressional Republicans at odds with Democratic leaders and neither party seemingly willing to concede.

While Democrats are looking to extend the budget for healthcare services, such as passing Obamacare tax credits, GOP leaders want to keep government funding at its current levels for the most part.

With the clock ticking until a funding lapse, President Trump and congressional leaders will convene at the White House for a meeting on Monday, with an agreement needed before a funding bill can be signed into law.

If Congress does not reach a deal by midnight on Tuesday, parts of the government will begin shutting down due to a lack of authorized funding.

Without the money, many government offices will be temporarily closed and federal agencies will have no choice but to halt all non-essential operations until Congress acts.

Agencies have been warned to not only brace themselves for temporary furloughs, but also permanent layoffs should the government shut down, the White House’s Office of Management and Budget said in a Wednesday memo.

In the event of a shutdown, operations considered essential, such as those related to national security and public safety, will continue, although they may experience disruptions or delays.

The impacts of a federal government shutdown can be extensive and lengthy.

For example, there were major implications during the 2018 to 2019 partial shutdown, which lasted 35 days and was the longest in the modern era due to disputes over funding for a wall on the border between the US and Mexico.

Some national parks and museums were closed, air travel saw widespread delays because air traffic controllers worked without pay, routine food safety inspections were suspended, and tens of thousands of immigration hearings were canceled, among other impacts.

As USPS announced the agency will not be affected by a potential government shutdown, the mail carrier is warning millions of customers of holidays deliveries being at risk.

Meanwhile, USPS dealt another blow to customers as it confirmed the closure of over 20 branches across four states in September.