A Senate hearing slated to look at overhauling the U.S. Postal Service — including looking at what Amazon and others pay for package delivery — has been delayed.
Reuters, citing three sources familiar with the matter, reported that the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs was forced to postpone a meeting on post office reforms because although a task force ordered by President Donald Trump in April has produced a report, the White House has decided not to release the report yet and to “indefinitely postpone” the senate hearing, which was slated for September 5. As a result, any legislation aimed at raising the rates Amazon pays for postal services will have to be pushed out in the future. The report noted that the task force had briefed Trump on the findings and recommendations earlier in August. “The task force will continue our work to identify solutions to strengthen the USPS business model driving toward a public report before the end of the year,” a U.S. Treasury Department spokeswoman told Reuters. “It is clear that the governance of USPS must be fixed, and we encourage Congress to take actions towards that goal.”
The inquiry into the package delivery rates at the U.S. Post Office was prompted by President Trump’s attacks on Amazon and its chief executive Jeff Bezos, who is also the owner of the Washington Post. The Washington Post has been critical of President Trump, prompting his rage at Amazon. Earlier this year shares of Amazon took a hit over worries that Trump may hurt the company’s profit. That hasn’t happened, and shares of the eCommerce giant have surged since then.
