Strong Introduces Bill to Hold USPS Accountable, Tying Postmaster General Pay to Performance

July 24, 2026

WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Representative Dale Strong (AL-05), along with the entire Alabama House delegation, introduced the Postal Executive Responsibility, Fiscal Oversight, and Results-based Management (PERFORM) Act, legislation that ties the Postmaster General's compensation to the Postal Service's mail delivery and financial performance.

“The American people don't get bonuses for failure, and neither should the Postmaster General. The PERFORM Act ends the practice of rewarding poor performance and makes clear that leadership must earn incentive pay by delivering results – not excuses,” said Representative Strong.

The U.S. Postal Service has reported more than $25 billion in net losses over the past three fiscal years, including a $9 billion loss in Fiscal Year 2025. At the same time, millions of Americans have faced delays in receiving medications, bills, checks, legal documents, election mail, and other time-sensitive correspondence.

Despite these persistent service failures and financial losses, the Postmaster General remains eligible for a performance-based bonus, continuing a pattern in which Postmaster Generals have received more than $2 million in bonuses over the past decade.

The PERFORM Act restores accountability by prohibiting a performance-based bonus for the Postmaster General if, during the preceding fiscal year, the Postal Service:

Fails to meet nationwide service performance targets;
Reports a net loss;
Receives a material weakness, adverse audit opinion, or disclaimer in its financial audit; or
Fails to submit a required report to Congress.

“If the U.S. Postal Service were a private sector operation, it would have filed for bankruptcy years ago. Further, if a CEO’s tenure saw an average annual net loss of $10 billion while service standards continued to decline, company leadership would be standing in the unemployment line – not collecting performance bonuses,” continued Strong.

Original cosponsors of the PERFORM Act include Representatives Barry Moore (AL-01), Shomari Figures (AL-02), Mike Rogers (AL-03), Robert Aderholt (AL-04), Gary Palmer (AL-06), and Terri Sewell (AL-07).

"The American people expect accountability from every part of the federal government, and the U.S. Postal Service should be no exception," said Rep. Barry Moore. "When USPS is losing billions of dollars, failing to meet service standards, and falling short of basic financial accountability, taxpayers should not be expected to foot the bill for performance bonuses. It is absurd to reward bonuses to bureaucrats that fail to meet basic operational standards. I'm proud to join Congressman Dale Strong in standing up for taxpayers and bringing common-sense accountability back to Washington."

“I was proud to join my friend, Rep. Dale Strong, in introducing this commonsense legislation to incentivize better performance by the Postmaster General,” said Rep. Mike Rogers. “The United States Postal Service loses billions per year, yet the Postmaster General still receives performance-based bonuses nearing $200,000. We must hold the Postmaster General to account, and removing performance-based bonuses in years following substandard results is a great start.”

"As we celebrate America’s 250th anniversary, it’s worth remembering that the United States Postal Service is actually older than the nation itself,” said Rep. Robert Aderholt. “Yet in recent years, it has fallen far short of the vision our first Postmaster General, Benjamin Franklin, had for our national mail service. Postal rates have continued to climb while service has become slower and less reliable. That’s why I’m proud to be an original cosponsor of the PERFORM Act, led by Congressman Strong, to help hold the Postal Service accountable to its customers, the American people."

"The Postal Service has lost billions of dollars while Americans continue to deal with delayed mail and declining service, yet executives are still eligible for hefty bonuses,” said Rep. Gary Palmer. “Being rewarded with taxpayer dollars for poor service is unacceptable. The PERFORM Act puts an end to this by ensuring taxpayer-funded performance pay is tied to actual performance and accountability. I appreciate Congressman Strong's leadership and am proud to support this legislation."

“I am proud to join my colleagues in the Alabama delegation in supporting the PERFORM Act which will improve oversight of U.S. Postal Service leadership,” said Rep. Terri Sewell. “Postal workers and post offices are lifelines for our communities, and they deserve the resources necessary to carry out their critical mission.”

"The Postmaster General should not receive performance bonuses while the Postal Service is losing billions of dollars and customers are experiencing severe delays," said Rep. Figures. "If anyone should be receiving a bonus, it's the hardworking men and women who are out there breaking a sweat day in and day out doing what they can to actually deliver the mail, not a bureaucrat sitting behind a desk in an air-conditioned office in Washington, DC. I'm happy to join Rep. Strong in introducing this commonsense, bipartisan bill to raise standards and ensure accountability.”

Since taking office, Congressman Strong has led numerous efforts to improve mail service and strengthen accountability at the U.S. Postal Service, including:

Securing a USPS Office of Inspector General audit of mail delivery performance, staffing levels, and operational bottlenecks affecting North Alabama in the Fiscal Year 2027 Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act.
Directing USPS to review unique ZIP Code designations for communities including Priceville and Skyline to better reflect municipal boundaries and improve service.
Advocating for a new post office in the 35763 ZIP Code to meet the needs of one of Alabama's fastest-growing areas.
Leading efforts to restore a North Alabama-based Processing and Distribution Center to strengthen mail service and improve delivery reliability.

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