John Oliver has ideas to save the U.S. Postal Service from collapsing 'at the worst possible time'
"The USPS provides valuable services, from delivering mail and packages to brilliantly ruining TikTok videos," John Oliver demonstrated on Sunday's Last Week Tonight. "The current pandemic is obviously making things very difficult for postal workers right now," and along with the 40 who have died of COVID-19 and the thousand more who have tested positive, "these workers are also having to grapple with another existential threat: The Postal Service may be about to go broke."
"Without financial help, the USPS may not make it past September without significant service interruptions, which is upsetting, especially during an election year, a census year, and a pandemic that has people housebound," Oliver said "At the worst possible time, this American institution is on the brink of collapse, so tonight we thought it might be worth asking why that is, and what can be done about it."
The USPS is supposed to be independent and financially self-sufficient, "and you might think that you know why the Postal Service is in such trouble — that the internet and email mean that people just don't use it as much — but that's not actually the main reason," Oliver said. The main reason is a 2006 law.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
And "one of the biggest things standing in the way of the USPS getting the federal assistance it so badly needs right now" is President Trump's bizarre insistence on making the USPS quadruple delivery rates for Amazon, almost certainly because he hates Jeff Bezos and The Washington Post and he demonstrably "makes policy decision based on his never-ending game of Six Degrees of How Is This About Me," Oliver said. "Trump is absolutely convinced that the Postal Service's biggest problem is one of the few things that is not actually one of its problems. And that's not just annoying, it's really worrying, especially as just this week he replace the outgoing postmaster general with this guy, Louis DeJoy, a major Trump donor."
The Postal Service is "a literal lifeline for many Americans," a crucial partner for small businesses, and an essential service for rural America, and Congress needs to give it "an infusion of funding as soon as possible," Oliver said. But Congress should also allow the USPS to expand its services, especially to postal banking. Oliver is also selling actual stamps if you want to help the USPS now. (There is NSFW language.) Watch below. Peter Weber
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Today's political cartoons - May 4, 2024
Cartoons Saturday's cartoons - reflections in the pond, riding shotgun, and more
By The Week US Published
-
5 high-caliber cartoons about Kristi Noem shooting her puppy
Cartoons Artists take on the rainbow bridge, a farm upstate, and more
By The Week US Published
-
The Week Unwrapped: Why is the world running low on blood?
Podcast Scientists believe universal donor blood is within reach – plus, the row over an immersive D-Day simulation, and an Ozempic faux pas
By The Week Staff Published
-
Empty-nest boomers aren't selling their big homes
Speed Read Most Americans 60 and older do not intend to move, according to a recent survey
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Brazil accuses Musk of 'disinformation campaign'
Speed Read A Brazilian Supreme Court judge has opened an inquiry into Elon Musk and X
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Disney board fends off Peltz infiltration bid
Speed Read Disney CEO Bob Iger has defeated activist investor Nelson Peltz in a contentious proxy battle
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Disney and DeSantis reach detente
Speed Read The Florida governor and Disney settle a yearslong litigation over control of the tourism district
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Visa and Mastercard agree to lower swipe fees
Speed Read The companies will cap the fees they charge businesses when customers use their credit cards
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Reddit IPO values social media site at $6.4 billion
Speed Read The company makes its public debut on the New York Stock Exchange
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Housing costs: the root of US economic malaise?
speed read Many voters are troubled by the housing affordability crisis
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Feds cap credit card late fees at $8
speed read The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau finalized a rule to save households an estimated $10 billion a year
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published