Postal reform time line

January 1995 Rep. John M. McHugh (D-NY) is appointed U.S. Postal Service subcommittee chairman.

June 1996 McHugh introduces H.R. 3717, the first postal reform act. A revised act, H.R. 22, is introduced in early 1997.

January 1999 After revisions, H.R. 22 is reintroduced at the start of the 106th Congress; the revised bill is considered by full committee for first time.

September 2001 McHugh tries again with H.R. 22, now called the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act.

March 2002 Sen. Fred Thompson (R-TN), chair of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs — which oversees the USPS — announces that he won’t seek reelection; he is replaced by Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-CT), who is later replaced by Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME).

May 2002 Collins meets with a consortium of mailers and printers at the headquarters of printer Dingley Press about the need for postal reform.

December 2002 President Bush appoints a presidential commission to review the role of the Postal Service in the 21st century.

January 2003 Now a mailers’ advocate, Collins is named chairman of the Governmental Affairs Committee.

January 2005 109th Congress opens; McHugh reintroduces H.R. 22.

March 2005 Collins introduces her own postal reform bill, S. 622.

July 2005 House passes H.R. 22.

February 2006 Senate passes S. 622.

October 2006 Congress adjourns to campaign for midterm elections; passage of postal reform looks bleak.

November 2006 “Lame duck” Congress reconvenes, then adjourns; postal reform is again pushed aside.

Dec. 7, 2006 Rep. Tom Davis (R-VA) introduces compromise reform bill H.R. 6407.

Dec. 8, 2006 H.R. 6407 passes the House at 10:40 p.m.

Dec. 9, 2006 H.R. 6407 passes Senate at 3:52 a.m.; 109th Congress adjourns.