NAPS Chat

During  this week's episode of NAPS Chat, former Postal Regulatory Commission  chairman Dan Blair and Bob discuss ongoing and festering  controversies with regard to postal performance, the importance of  transparency in postal operations, election implications for the future of the USPS, and the importance of presidential transitions.

Currently, Dan Blair is senior counselor for the Center for Presidential Transition. Over a 17-year period, Dan served on Capitol Hill in senior positions on the House and Senate committees having jurisdiction over the Postal Service. In addition Dan was president and chief executive officer for the National Academy for Public Administration, and senior counselor at the Bipartisan Policy Center.

During  this week's episode of NAPS Chat, former Rep. Tom Davis and Bob discuss  today's political environment and how it impacts the prognosis for  postal legislation in the future. In addition, Tom and Bob talk about  the upcoming election, and how Congress should approach oversight of the government's  handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Former  Rep. Tom Davis is currently a partner at Holland & Knight, a  Washington-based law firm with expertise in government relations. As a  member of Congress, Rep Davis served as chairman of the House Oversight  Committee and chairman of the National Republican Campaign Committee.

During this week's episode of  NAPS Chat, Ivan and Bob discuss the impact that the four recent federal  court rulings against the USPS, as well as the  USPS settlement of a lawsuit filed in a Montana federal court may have  on congressional and Postal Regulatory Commission actions, the potential impact  that USPS actions and external attacks on the USPS may have on the  public's views of the agency, and how to use the NAPS Presidential Candidate  Questionnaire and Congressional Scorecard, which appear in the October  issue of the Postal Supervisor magazine.

During  this week's episode of NAPS Chat, Mark Mellman, a nationally recognized  political consultant, and Bob discuss the role that public preference  polls play in presidential and congressional campaigns, including the  2020 election. Mark explains how polls work and how to  evaluate them. Finally, Mark and  Bob talk about a recent public opinion poll that explores public views  about the U.S. Postal Service.

Mark  Mellman is CEO of the Mellman Group and past president of the American Association of Political Consultants. In addition, Mark has served as a  consultant to CBS News and as a presidential debate analyst for The Wall Street Journal and NPR.

During this week's episode of  NAPS Chat, NAPS Director of Legislative and Political Affairs Bob Levi discusses a recent national poll relating to the Postal  Service and the 2020 election, four recent U.S.  Federal Court decisions that reject the Postal Service's recent operational changes, and misstatements at Tuesday's Presidential debate relating to absentee balloting.

During this week's episode of  NAPS Chat, Kevin Forgarty, chief of staff to Rep. Peter King, and Bob  discuss how a national or regional crisis,  such as COVID-19, impacts congressional operations and legislative  advocacy. In addition, Kevin and Bob talk about the importance of timely and reliable mail service during a crisis. Finally, Kevin reflects on winding down Rep. King's office operations, as the congressman will retire at the end of the year. Rep. King  has been a three-decade congressional ally of the National Association  of Postal Supervisors.

During this week's episode of  NAPS Chat, Representative Stephanie Murphy (FL-7) and Bob discuss the  congresswoman's unique background, how she  became immersed in postal issues and the agency's recent controversies, and her work relating to the Government Pension Offset and Windfall Elimination Provision on the House Ways and Means Committee.

During this week's episode of NAPS Chat, NAPS Executive Vice President Ivan Butts and NAPS Director of Legislative and Political Affairs Bob Levi discuss this week's controversies surrounding the Postal Service, legislative activities relating to the agency, and introducing congressional candidates to NAPS members. Also, it's important on September 11  to recall the terrorist acts that took the lives of 2,977 human beings at New York's World Trade Center, the Pentagon and Shanksville, PA; and to  recognize the American heroes who rushed into harm's way in an attempt  to save them.

During this week's episode of  NAPS Chat, Rep. Rodney Davis and Bob discuss the partisanship that has  ensnared the U.S. Postal Service on Capitol  Hill, the congressman's support of the House-passed "Delivering for  America Act" (H.R. 8015) and "USPS Fairness Act" (H.R. 2382), and the importance of the  Postal Service to rural America and absentee voting.

During this week's episode of NAPS Chat, veteran House Oversight and Reform Committee member Brenda Lawrence and Bob review this week's  volatile committee hearing that featured testimony by Postmaster General Louis DeJoy and Postal Board of Governors Chair Robert Duncan. In addition, Rep. Lawrence and Bob discuss the House of Representatives passage of the "Delivering for America Act" by a bipartisan vote of 257-150. Rep. Lawrence was elected to Congress after a full career as an employee of the Postal Service.