Boozman op-ed targets postal banking pilot

A U.S. Postal Service pilot program to test postal banking will further complicate already-strained mail delivery, Sen. John Boozman (Ark.) wrote in a new op-ed.

Op-ed: In The Hill, Boozman wrote that the USPS likely overstepped its authority by unilaterally launching the pilot. He noted Senate Republicans are demanding answers on the USPS’s statutory authority to operate the program.

Pilot: The USPS quietly launched the pilot in September to offer check cashing, bill paying, ATM access, and expanded money orders and wire transfers in Washington, D.C.; Falls Church, Va.; Baltimore; and the Bronx, New York.

ICBA Position: ICBA—which has spoken out against the pilot via NBC News, The Washington Post, and the Washington Examiner—strongly opposes postal banking. A three-part series of ICBA issue briefs explores the policy’s flaws and offers alternatives for reaching the unbanked.