Capitol Hill Blue Forums Political Issues Constitutional Issues Isn't the Post Office Established by the Constitution?

Isn't the Post Office Established by the Constitution?

The $2.2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security, or CARES, Act does not contain ANY funds to keep the USPS running, due to a veto threat by POTUS.

I make part of my living shipping my Leon Russell DVD's all over the country (and even around the world) via the Post Office, and since domestic DVD shipping is only about $2.50 or so, I offer FREE shipping in the USA.

Keep your eyes peeled for Congress critters buying up stock in UPS and FedEx, because this is clearly a case of sabotage by Team Trump.
They hate the Post Office and want it privatized at all costs, even if it destroys businesses that depend on it for low cost shipping.

But I did not think it would be this easy to kill off an agency that was established in the Constitution. I was almost sure that it was, am I wrong on this?

Article I, Section 8, Clause 7 of the United States Constitution, known as the Postal Clause or the Postal Power, empowers Congress "To establish Post Offices and Post Roads".

Article I, Section 8, Congress shall have the power to establish post offices and post roads.

Now I'm about as far away from being a constitutional scholar or a Constitutional lawyer as one can get, so this is just me. That Article and section gives the Congress the power to establish, but it doesn't say congress will establish. That was left to the congress to decide and to enact if they so desired.

I could be as wrong about that as wrong gets. That would have to be determined by the SCOTUS, how they interpret that Article and section. Having said this, since congress passed legislation to enact or establish post offices, I would think in order to do away with the USPS, congress would also have to enact legislation to do so. The president is powerless in this matter, congress has all the power over post offices.

That's how I see it. But keep in mind, anything that goes before the SCOTUS, I usually get it wrong. My problem is I read and interpret the Constitutions in plain English, while the SCOTUS interprets it in Lawyerese which I don't speak or understand.

Right when everyone in the entire nation is needing deliveries of essential goods to survive seems like a bad idea to attack any delivery service.

I agree, any delivery system. But my point was that given the power to congress to establish something via the Constitution doesn't mean that something is Constitutionally protected. Congress could establish it or not. The constitution didn't state congress will establish, it stated congress has the power to establish if it had a mind to.

Yes the POD or USPS is a part of the {{{{{{DEEP STATE}}}}}}

The POD is a drag on the federal budget, so conservatives want to turn it into private enterprise.

When it says "shall" it doesn't mean conservative should have their way and gut the federal government because they don't like it. I mean if they don't like that then maybe they should privatize the whole federal government so no state has to follow any federal edict. Then on the other hand seems like part of the contractual agreement I have with the federal government is that they provide me with some services ... not some of Mr Trump billionaire buddies.

But that's my reading of the Constitution.

It was established in 1792. I think a history lesson on POD or USPS should be in order.

I don't see anything about privatization in the Constitution.

I think that the entire idea of privatization was once the stuff of robber barons and monarchic despots, and that is the reason why a "taxpayer supported service" (GASP!!! 18th century socialism!!!) was considered the better idea.
And since it was set forth in the Constitution it ought to take more than a decree from a POTUS to either sustain or kill it off.
The very idea that any president can just take a pen and with a few strokes dismantle an entire agency is anathema to a constitutional republic.

But as Pero said, Congress had for years handed over increasing amounts of power to the Executive Branch and so here we are.

My take on this is the Constitution gave the power to congress to establish the USPS if it wanted to. The Constitution doesn't say congress will, it just gave congress the power, the authority to established a postal system. It wanted to and passed legislation to do so. The USPS can't be done away with without legislation from congress. No president can do away with it on his own without congress's consent in the form of legislation. The USPS is the law of the land.

If congress decides to privatize the USPS, they have that power to do so. No president can do it, but congress can with the president's approval.