Task Force on the United States Postal System

Executive Order 13829 of April 12, 2018

Task Force on the United States Postal System

By the authority vested in me as President by the
Constitution and the laws of the United States of
America, I hereby order the following:

Section 1. Policy. (a) The United States Postal Service
(USPS) accounts for almost half of global mail volume
and is regularly cited as the Federal agency with the
highest public approval rating. However, a number of
factors, including the steep decline in First-Class
Mail volume, coupled with legal mandates that compel
the USPS to incur substantial and inflexible costs,
have resulted in a structural deficit where revenues
are no longer sufficient to fund the pension
liabilities and retiree health obligations owed to
current employees. The USPS is on an unsustainable
financial path and must be restructured to prevent a
taxpayer-funded bailout. This finding is supported by
the following considerations, among others:

(i) the USPS has incurred $65 billion of cumulative losses since the 2007-
2009 recession;

(ii) the USPS has been unable to make payments required by law for its
retiree health benefit obligations, which totaled more than $38 billion at
the end of fiscal year 2017; and

(iii) the Government Accountability Office has had the USPS on its high-
risk list since 2009 because of a serious financial situation that puts the
USPS mission of providing prompt, reliable, and efficient universal mail
services at risk.

    (b) It shall be the policy of my Administration
that the United States postal system operate under a
sustainable business model to provide necessary mail
services to citizens and businesses, and to compete
fairly in commercial markets.

Sec. 2. Establishment. (a) There is hereby established
a Task Force on the United States Postal Service (Task
Force), to be chaired by the Secretary of the Treasury,
as Secretary and as Chairman of the Federal Financing
Bank, or his designee, to evaluate the operations and
finances of the USPS. In addition to the Chair of the
Task Force (Chair), the Task Force shall be composed of
the following department and agency heads, or their
designees:

(i) the Director of the Office of Management and Budget;

(ii) the Director of the Office of Personnel Management; and

(iii) any other department and agency head the Chair may designate.

    (b) The Task Force shall consult with the
Postmaster General and the Chairman of the Postal
Regulatory Commission.
    (c) The Task Force shall also engage:

(i) the Attorney General, on issues relating to government monopolies
operating in the commercial marketplace;

(ii) the Secretary of Labor, on issues related to workers compensation
programs; and

(iii) State, local, and tribal officials as determined by the Chair of the
Task Force with input from the Task Force members.

    (d) The Task Force shall meet as required by the
Chair and, unless extended by the Chair, shall be
dissolved once it has accomplished the objectives

set forth in sections 3 and 4, as determined by the
Chair, and completed the report described in section 5
of this order.

Sec. 3. Evaluation. The Task Force shall conduct a
thorough evaluation of the operations and finances of
the USPS, including:

(i) the expansion and pricing of the package delivery market and the USPS's
role in competitive markets;

(ii) the decline in mail volume and its implications for USPS self-
financing and the USPS monopoly over letter delivery and mailboxes;

(iii) the definition of the “universal service obligation” in light of
changes in technology, e-commerce, marketing practices, and customer needs;

(iv) the USPS role in the U.S. economy and in rural areas, communities, and
small towns; and

(v) the state of the USPS business model, workforce, operations, costs, and
pricing.

Sec. 4. Recommendations for Reform. The Task Force
shall develop recommendations for administrative and
legislative reforms to the United States postal system.

    (a) Such recommendations shall promote our Nation's
commerce and communication without shifting additional
costs to taxpayers. The recommendations shall be
developed in a manner that is consistent with the
proposed plan to reorganize the executive branch as
required by Executive Order 13781 of March 13, 2017.
    (b) Such recommendations shall also consider the
views of the USPS workforce; commercial, non-profit,
and residential users of the USPS services; and
competitors in the marketplace.

Sec. 5. Report. The Task Force, acting through the
Chair and the Director of the Office of Management and
Budget, shall submit a report to the President, in
coordination with the Directors of the Domestic Policy
and National Economic Councils, not later than 120 days
after the date of this order. In its report, the Task
Force shall summarize its findings and recommendations
under sections 3 and 4 of this order.

Sec. 6. Administration. The Federal Financing Bank
shall provide administrative support and funding for
the Task Force.

Sec. 7. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order
shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or
the head thereof; or

(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget
relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

    (b) This order shall be implemented consistent with
applicable law and subject to the availability of
appropriations.

    (c) This order is not intended to, and does not,
create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural,
enforceable at law or in equity by any party against
the United States, its departments, agencies, or
entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any
other person.

    (Presidential Sig.)

THE WHITE HOUSE,

    April 12, 2018.