NAPS Chat

Dennis Shea, former executive director of the 2003 Presidential Commission on the U.S. Postal Service, joins Bob to revisit the recommendations of the panel established by former PresidentGeorge W. Bush and reminisce about the panel's deliberations. The commission's report, Embracing the Future: Making the Tough Choices to Preserve Universal Mail Service, is now about 23 years old.  Dennis and Bob dust it off and discuss whether the commission's conclusions still resonate and whether it's time for another high-level panel to take a look at the Postal Service. 

Dennis Shea is currently Executive Vice President at the Bipartisan Policy Center, a prestigious Washington-based think tank that promotes bipartisan politics and policy.  Dennis' views, as expressed on NAPS Chat, do not necessarily reflect those of the Center.

Newly elected NAPS Executive Vice President James (Jimmy) Warden joins Bob to discuss his legislative and political focus, including outspoken advocacy on behalf of EAS level postal employees, ensuring the sanctity of mailed election ballots, safeguarding the USPS' universal service obligation, and sustaining the Postal Service. 

David Garcia of the Postal Service's Office of Inspector General (OIG) joins Bob to discuss the OIG's recently published White Paper, which outlines fifteen options to address the USPS' financial gap. David and Bob discuss the relative merits of the options, including their impact on the USPS' public service mission and sustainability. 

With only weeks to go before the 2026 National Association of Postal Supervisors (NAPS) convention convenes, veteran event planner Sheri Davies joins Bob to discuss the multitude of preparatory and real time tasks essential to ensure convention success. Sheri and Bob also talk about what the approximately 1,300 attendees should expect in San Francisco, August 9-14. Sheri has been planning events with NAPS for 17 years and has established a close and constructive relationship with NAPS' officers and members. 

U.S. Postal Service historians Steve Kochersperger and Junemarie Barndt join Bob to recount the rocky paths and surprising places that our emerging national postal service used to convey correspondence, news, and the Declaration of Independence itself among the original thirteen colonies, on and around July 4, 1776.   

Former House Majority Leader and current ranking member of the House Appropriations Committee on Financial Services and General Government Steny Hoyer (D-MD),  joins Bob to reflect of the current state of Congress, his work to ensure the Postal Service delivers high-quality universal mail service, and a possible path for the future. The House Appropriations subcommittee on which Rep. Hoyer serves has jurisdiction over postal affairs. Rep. Hoyer will be retiring from the House of Representatives at the end of the year. Throughout his legislative career, Rep. Hoyer has championed the interests of active and retired employees of the USPS and the federal government.   

Rep. Jack Bergman (R-MI), co-chair of the Congressional Postal Caucus,  joins Bob to discuss the activities of the bipartisan panel and the importance of a universal, accessible, and affordable national postal system. The congressman and Bob also discuss postal accountability. Finally, in recognition of Memorial Day, Rep. Bergman, a retired Marine Corps Lieutenant General, reflects on how mail connects members of the armed forces deployed overseas with their family and friends back home.  

Elena Patel, Co-Director of the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center and Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institute, joins Bob to discuss the extraordinary economic impact the Postal Service has on rural and postal-reliant communities, as well as the importance of the agency's universal service obligation to the entire country. Elena and Bob also talk about the difficulty the Postal Service has in effectively meeting this obligation in light of its current financial pressures, and potential fixes. Dr. Patel has recently authored two scholarly papers on the Postal Service.  

At the 2026 NAPS Legislative Conference, in Washington, NAPS bestowed it annual Gold Standard for Legislative Leadership Award to former New Jersey Legislative Chair George Barrett. George joins Bob to discuss his tactics and strategies to maximize his opportunities to promote the interests of EAS level postal employees and retirees. Also, George shares his "tricks of the trade" and reflects on memorable congressional engagements he had during his career. In addition, Bob summarizes recent actions taken by the Postal Board of Governors and the Postal Regulatory Commission relating to the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS). 

National Association of Letter Carriers President Brian Renfroe joins Bob to discuss the postal outlook from the perspective of the nation's largest postal union. Brian and Bob talk about the the necessity for unity among postal stakeholders to confront the daunting challenges confronting the USPS, as well as the steadfast commitment the community must have to ensure the agency's public service obligations are not jettisoned. They also talk about the recent House postal hearings, postal finances and the recent nomination of 3 individuals to the Postal Board of Governors.