Senator Mike Rounds, US Senator for South Dakota | Official U.S. Senate headshot
Senator Mike Rounds, US Senator for South Dakota | Official U.S. Senate headshot
U.S. Senators Mike Rounds and Peter Welch have reintroduced the Deliver for Democracy Act, aiming to support rural newspaper delivery by encouraging reliable service from the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) and limiting rate increases. The legislation was first introduced in May 2024 during the 118th Congress.
The USPS has raised periodical rates significantly since August 2021, citing improved efficiency and service. However, local news outlets still face delays in product delivery. Senator Rounds stated, "Local journalists work hard every day to deliver news on a timely basis, and the U.S. Postal Service should too." He added that periodical rates have increased by over 40 percent without corresponding improvements in delivery performance.
The bill is cosponsored by Senators John Hoeven, Tammy Baldwin, Amy Klobuchar, Jeff Merkley, Bernie Sanders, Tina Smith, and Ron Wyden. In the House of Representatives, it is led by Robert Aderholt and Emanuel Cleaver.
The South Dakota NewsMedia Association, National Newspaper Association, and News/Media Alliance endorse the Deliver for Democracy Act. Dave Bordewyk of the South Dakota NewsMedia Association expressed gratitude for Senator Rounds' efforts to make the Postal Service more sustainable and responsive.
Danielle Coffey of News/Media Alliance highlighted the critical role of local journalists in informing Americans but noted that unsustainable postal rates threaten their operations. She thanked Senators Welch and Rounds for their leadership on this issue.
The act seeks to address issues stemming from changes made under the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006. It requires USPS to meet a 95% on-time delivery rate or improve by at least two percentage points to maintain its surcharge authority for periodicals. Additionally, it mandates annual reporting on delivery data for newspapers and instructs a study on alternate pricing schemes.
Senator Rounds has been active in improving USPS services in South Dakota. He previously urged USPS not to downsize mail processing operations in his state and introduced related legislation.
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