Government affairs

Today, Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA) and 12 bipartisan colleagues introduced the “USPS Shipping Equity Act” (H.R. 2517). The bill would provide the Postal Service with the authority to ship beer, wine, and alcoholic beverages directly from licensed producers and retailers to legal consumers.

Under current law, the Postal Service is prevented from shipping alcoholic goods. Private shippers such as FedEx and UPS are the only means for wineries, breweries, and other producers to have their goods delivered directly to American consumers. If passed into law, the Postal Service could also be utilized.

“In 2016, California was America’s top destination for the direct shipment of wine, yet consumers and manufacturers are prohibited from using the U.S. Postal Service to ship or deliver these everyday products,” said Congresswoman Speier. “In most states, private carriers such as FedEx and UPS are already delivering alcoholic beverages. It makes no sense to create a competitive disadvantage for the USPS by barring them from these kinds of shipments, especially given the Postal Service’s dire financial condition. Congress needs to lift this ban for the benefit of beverage manufacturers, consumers, and our struggling postal service.”

“The National Association of Letter Carriers is proud to endorse the bipartisan USPS Shipping Equity Act,” said NALC President Fredric Rolando. “Passing this legislation into law would make an excellent use of the unique and existing postal network. It would also allow the Postal Service to better serve its customers and generate much needed revenue for the agency.”

NALC supports H.R. 2517 and encourages letter carriers to contact their member of Congress to support this legislation.