Bill Overview
Title: Ensuring Oversight Access at the Postal Service Act
Description: This bill bars the U.S. Postal Service from inhibiting a Member of Congress from accessing a Postal Service facility for official purposes.
Sponsors: Rep. Connolly, Gerald E. [D-VA-11]
Target Audience
Population: People who use postal services globally
Estimated Size: 330000000
- The bill directly impacts the operations of the U.S. Postal Service.
- All U.S. citizens use postal services to some degree for communication and shipping purposes.
- Congressional oversight of postal services could lead to improvements or changes in how services are delivered.
Reasoning
- The policy mainly deals with allowing Congress members access to USPS facilities to facilitate oversight, which should ideally ensure better service provision through transparency and accountability.
- Given the scale of USPS operations and the number of users, the direct impact on individual daily users might be low, but potential systemic benefits could exist.
- Key considerations include how oversight might translate to actionable improvements and how users perceive these changes.
- Cost limitations mean actual direct interventions at the user level might be minimal, but the oversight could improve strategic direction and operational efficiency.
- The potential for user experience improvement is moderate as the USPS has numerous operational aspects that could be affected by increased oversight. Changes could take time to manifest.
- The commonness factor is oriented towards people who frequently use postal services, from urban centers to rural areas, who might notice changes in service efficiencies.
Simulated Interviews
small business owner (New York City, NY)
Age: 45 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I hope the increased oversight will address issues like delays and improve cost efficiency.
- Any improvement in services will directly impact my business positively.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
retired (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 60 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 20/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I am content with the usual postal services, but if they can improve reliability, that would be great.
- The human factor at USPS makes me hopeful oversight won't disturb daily operations in a negative way.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
IT consultant (Chicago, IL)
Age: 30 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- My interaction with the postal office is minimal, so I am not sure how this will really affect me.
- If it means faster package delivery, that could be nice, but I'm more concerned about prices.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
school teacher (Dallas, TX)
Age: 38 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 18/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Access to USPS facilities by Congress members might streamline processes, reducing delays.
- I wish for service upgrades that can help in getting my educational supplies quicker.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
postal worker (Miami, FL)
Age: 50 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I am hopeful that increased oversight will help in highlighting the areas that need resource attention.
- More efficient operations could reduce stress on workers, enhancing productivity.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
e-commerce entrepreneur (Seattle, WA)
Age: 29 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- If oversight leads to better USPS rates or quicker deliveries, my business stands to gain significantly.
- I'm optimistic that more attention to USPS operations can sustain or reduce costs.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
farming (Rural Nebraska)
Age: 27 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I hope oversight could enhance service reliability in rural areas.
- If Congress influencing USPS operations translates to better rural infrastructure, that's a definite plus.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
university student (Boston, MA)
Age: 22 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 16/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm indifferent; oversight seems largely administrative and less likely to affect me directly.
- If they keep up with new tech integrations that'd be good, but I rely on other services more.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
retired veteran (Phoenix, AZ)
Age: 75 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 14/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I rely heavily on USPS, and I welcome any improvements in timing and reliability.
- It's good that Congress will be watching over them closely.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
freelancer (Atlanta, GA)
Age: 40 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 17/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Increased oversight is a positive step. Transparency could lead to better service.
- I look forward to seeing more accountability, which can improve client deliveries.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $2000000 (Low: $1000000, High: $3000000)
Year 2: $2000000 (Low: $1000000, High: $3000000)
Year 3: $2000000 (Low: $1000000, High: $3000000)
Year 5: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Year 10: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Year 100: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Key Considerations
- The bill could ensure better oversight and transparency at Postal Service facilities, indirectly influencing service quality.
- Ensuring Congressional access could highlight operational areas needing improvement within the Postal Service.