Today, the House of Representatives passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1) with a narrow vote of 218-214 along party lines. The bill, which had undergone significant changes in the Senate earlier this week, is now set to be signed by President Trump.
The legislation originally included provisions that posed threats to letter carriers and their bargaining rights, but these were removed in the final version. Proposals such as increasing Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS) contribution rates, altering annuity calculations, and eliminating the FERS Special Annuity Supplement were among those considered during congressional discussions over the past two months.
NALC President Brian L. Renfroe expressed relief at these developments, stating: “Letter carriers’ activism and NALC’s strong bipartisan relationships helped us defeat devastating provisions for current and future letter carriers.”
The bill aims to reduce government spending while allocating funds for border security, immigration enforcement, defense measures, and making permanent certain tax cuts from 2017. It also extends corporate tax breaks but restricts eligibility and funding for Medicaid, student loan repayments, and clean energy tax credits. The legislation is projected to increase the deficit by $3.3 trillion over a decade and cost $507.6 billion within that period.
Renfroe commented on the outcome: “While the White House and some in Congress may claim victory following today’s passage, the real victory is NALC fending off innumerable attacks on our retirement benefits and the postal vehicles we desperately need in a massive bill that guts working families.”
He praised NALC members for their efforts: “I am proud that NALC members came together and fought like hell to defend what we’ve earned, deserve and were promised.” He also noted that similar legislative challenges are anticipated later this year.
