Call to action: USPS seeks unrestricted monopoly pricing power

Dec 29, 2025

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Lynne Lance, lynne@nna.org

Last week, the USPS filed a petition with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) that essentially seeks unrestricted pricing authority for Market Dominant postal products including Periodicals for which it has a statutory monopoly. (See the USPS Industry Alert below). As an alternative the USPS indicates it would accept additional pricing authority up to 22% above current rate increase authority combining CPI with the density adjustment and underwater surcharge imposed on periodical rates. This is unacceptable and NNA members are encouraged to contact their representatives and senators to condemn this filing by the USPS and to ask them to support H.R. 3004 to ensure proper governance for the USPS monopoly.

The new USPS Petition is in direct contrast to the legislative reforms NNA has endorsed in the USPS SERVES US Act (H.R. 3004), a bill to strengthen the PRC and limit unaffordable rate hikes. In its filing, the USPS argues that the additional rate authority is necessary to address requirements under the law for adequate revenues and a just and reasonable rate schedule and indicates that:

"Without material changes to the statutory and regulatory constraints under which we operate, the Postal Service will not only continue to incur net losses each year, but also projects that we could become illiquid by 2027."

This is a critical admission that insolvency is near, but the USPS ignores that while rate increases have been imposed at extreme and unprecedentedly frequent levels since the initiation of the Delivering for American plan in 2021, multi-billion-dollar losses have continued each year with no end in sight while costs have continued to increase and mail volume has plummeted. That is why NNA is supporting H.R. 3004. It would hold the USPS accountable for improving efficiency and service by allowing the PRC to limit its rate authority absent improvements in those areas and would make volume retention an objective in evaluating rate levels.

"Postmaster General Steiner has commented that the USPS cannot cut its way to prosperity but, under the Delivering for America plan, has not once posted a net reduction in controllable costs,” NNA Chair Martha Diaz Aszkenazy, publisher, The San Fernando (California) Valley Sun, said. “Neither can the USPS price its way to prosperity through excessive rate increases many times the rate of inflation. Clearly the USPS has failed to recognize the affordability crisis in America and community newspaper publishers have suffered tremendously under the failed rate strategy on which the USPS now seeks to double down."

NNA is monitoring how the PRC will deal with the USPS petition and will be prepared to defend its members’ interests in any proceeding that may be initiated. In the meantime, Now that the USPS has admitted it will be out of cash by 2027, Congress must act now to stop unaffordable, volume-killing rate hikes and give the PRC the necessary guidance and power to force it to operate within its means.