Sen. Tammy Baldwin applauds US Postal Service for delaying price hike

Wisconsin Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin joined six other Senate Democrats in writing to the U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors in April to urge it to stop “unsustainable postage increases” and to improve the agency’s services. On Sept. 20, she announced that the agency had agreed not to raise prices in January 2025 for first-class mail and other market dominant products.

Baldwin is running for reelection in November against Republican bank executive Eric Hovde. Her campaign frequently highlights her work to reduce costs for consumers and halt price gouging.

Under the leadership of Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, a Republican megadonor appointed in 2020 by a USPS board of governors selected by President Donald Trump, the Postal Service has come under significant criticism from members of both parties for actions that slowed mail delivery and for repeatedly increasing stamp prices. “My office has heard from residents in the district who have been frustrated by significant delays in their mail delivery which has affected their ability to receive paychecks and Social Security checks on time, pay their bills, and receive lifesaving prescription medications, jeopardizing their health, safety, and well-being,” Wisconsin Democratic Rep. Mark Pocan said in a January letter addressed to members of the House Appropriations Committee.

In their April 23 letter, the senators told the board of governors that they were concerned about the agency’s business plan and its future. “We ask that the Board of Governors take decisive action to halt these changes and prevent further consequences for American families and businesses who depend on USPS to meet their needs,” they wrote. They noted that the Postal Service Reform Act of 2022, which Baldwin voted for, had already saved the Postal Service nearly $60 billion and that Congress had given the agency $10 billion in direct appropriations in 2020. While these helped the agency’s finances, they wrote: “After the implementation of a new postage rate-setting framework that enabled much higher rate increases, we began to see the disastrous effects in 2023. Following the implementation, USPS mail volume dropped dramatically, losing 11 billion pieces of mail, and reporting a net loss of $6.5 billion in 2023.3 Instead of connecting the two issues, USPS blamed inflation, despite mail prices nearly doubling inflation in that time period.”

On Sept. 20, the Postal Service said in a press release that the board of governors had agreed to a recommendation by DeJoy “not to raise prices in January 2025 for Market Dominant products, which includes First-Class Mail.” DeJoy said they would not propose any increases in prices for those services until at least July 2025.

In a press release titled “Baldwin Successfully Pushes USPS to Pause Postage Pricing Increases,” Baldwin said: “Wisconsinites rely on the USPS to run their businesses, pay their bills, and communicate with loved ones. The proposed price hikes would have burdened hard working Wisconsinites, and I’m pleased to see they heeded my calls and will not be raising the price of stamps at the postal counter. I will continue to push the USPS leadership to halt rate increases, especially as Wisconsin families and small businesses continue to be hurt by unprecedented mail delivery delays.” 

This is not the first time Baldwin has pushed to lower prices for consumers. 

In 2022, Baldwin helped pass the Inflation Reduction Act, which capped out-of-pocket prescription drug and insulin costs for Medicare beneficiaries and authorized the federal government to negotiate lower prices for medications covered by Medicare Part D.

She is a co-sponsor of the Improving Needed Safeguards for Users of Lifesaving Insulin Now and of the Capping Prescription Costs Act, bills that would extend similar out-of-pocket caps to millions of Wisconsinites with private health insurance policies.