U.S. Sens. Katie Britt and Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., introduced legislation Monday (Aug. 3) to tie postmaster general pay to the U.S. Postal Service’s performance.
The Senate bill was first shared with Alabama Daily News.
Alabama’s entire congressional delegation is united in its support of the measure to prohibit the postmaster general from receiving a performance-based bonus if the agency does not meet certain financial, operational, or reporting standards.
The Senate measure coincides with the companion House bill led by Congressman Dale Strong, which all of the state’s House members are cosponsors. Strong introduced the House version of the Postal Executive Responsibility, Fiscal Oversight, and Results-based Management (PERFORM) Act last week.
Cash crunch
The legislation comes as the agency is in a cash crunch amid declining mail volume.
“This is not complicated: if the Postal Service does not meet basic performance metrics, the Postmaster General’s compensation should reflect that,” Britt said in a statement to ADN. “No reasonable company in the world gives its CEO a bonus after failing to meet multiple performance metrics, and the Postmaster General — who serves the American people — should be no different.”
Specifically, the bill would halt bonuses for the head of the agency if, during the preceding fiscal year, the Postal Service fails to meet nationwide performance targets, reports a net loss, receives an adverse audit finding or fails to submit reports to Congress.
Looking at the numbers
The Postal Service has lost money nearly every fiscal year since 2007, according to the Government Accountability Office. In fiscal year 2025, the service reported a net loss of $9 billion.
“Millions of Americans rely on the U.S. Postal Service to receive bills, send invoices, and hear from their friends and family,” Tuberville said. “In the private sector, if an organization is losing money every year, it would go under. The last thing we need to be doing is handing out bonuses to reward poor management. I’m glad to join Senator Britt to introduce this bill to provide accountability and incentivize better results out of the USPS.”
Currently, the postmaster general remains eligible for a performance-based bonus, and leaders of the agency have received $2 million in bonuses over the past decade.
The PERFORM Act would require the Postal Service to submit an annual report to Congress, outlining executive bonuses, performance metrics, financial performance, and national- and district-level service performance. It also directs the Postal Service’s Office of Inspector General to conduct an annual review of the agency.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Alex Angle and originally published by Alabama Daily News.
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