For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
December 11, 2002
Executive Order: President's Commission on the United States Postal Service
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and
the laws of the United States of America, and to ensure the efficient
operation of the United States Postal Service while minimizing the
financial exposure of the American taxpayers, it is hereby ordered as
follows:
Section 1. Establishment. There is established the President's
Commission on the United States Postal Service (Commission).
Sec. 2. Membership. The Commission shall be composed of nine
members appointed by the President. The President shall designate two
members of the Commission to serve as Co-Chairs.
Sec. 3. Mission. (a) The mission of the Commission shall be to
examine the state of the United States Postal Service, and to prepare
and submit to the President a report articulating a proposed vision for
the future of the United States Postal Service and recommending the
legislative and administrative reforms needed to ensure the viability
of postal services.
(b) In fulfilling its mission, the Commission shall consider the
following issues and such other issues relating to the Postal Service
as the Commission determines appropriate:
(i) the role of the Postal Service in the 21st century and beyond;
(ii) the flexibility that the Postal Service should have to change
prices, control costs, and adjust service in response to financial,
competitive, or market pressures;
(iii) the rigidities in cost or service that limit the efficiency
of
the postal system;
(iv) the ability of the Postal Service, over the long term, to
maintain universal mail delivery at affordable rates and cover its
unfunded liabilities with minimum exposure to the American
taxpayers;
(v) the extent to which postal monopoly restrictions continue to
advance the public interest under evolving market conditions, and
the
extent to which the Postal Service competes with private sector
services; and
(vi) the most appropriate governance and oversight structure for
the
Postal Service.
Sec. 4. Administration. (a) The Department of the Treasury or
any organizational entity subject to the direction of the Secretary of
the Treasury shall, to the extent permitted by law, provide
administrative support and funding for the Commission. The Commission
is established within the Department of the Treasury for administrative
purposes only.
(b) Members of the Commission shall serve without any compensation
for their work on the Commission. Members appointed from among private
citizens of the United States, however, while engaged in the work of
the Commission, may be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in
lieu of subsistence, as authorized by law for persons serving
inter-mittently in Government service (5 U.S.C. 5701-5707), to the
extent funds are available.
(c) The Commission shall have a staff headed by an Executive
Director.
(d) The Commission, with the concurrence of the Secretary of the
Treasury, may establish subcommittees, consisting of Commission
members, as appropriate, to aid in its work.
(e) Consistent with such guidance as the President or, on the
President's behalf, the Secretary of the Treasury, may provide, the
Commission shall exchange information with and obtain advice from
Members of Congress; Federal, State, local, and tribal officials;
commercial, nonprofit, and residential users of the United States
Postal Service; and others, as appropriate, including through public
hearings.
(f) Insofar as the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended, may
apply to the Commission, any functions of the President under that Act,
except for those in section 6 of that Act, shall be performed by the
Secretary of the Treasury, in accordance with the guidelines that have
been issued by the Administrator of General Services.
(g) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or
otherwise affect the functions of the Director of the Office of
Management and Budget relating to budget, administrative, or
legislative proposals.
Sec. 5. Report. The Commission shall submit its report,
consistent with its mission set forth in section 3 of this order, to
the President, through the Secretary of the Treasury, not later than
July 31, 2003.
Sec. 6. General Provisions. (a) This order is intended only to
improve the internal management of the Federal Government and it is not
intended to, and does not create, any right or benefit, substantive or
procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by a party against the
United States, its departments, agencies, instrumentalities or
entities, its officers or employees, or any other person.
(b) The Commission shall terminate 30 days after submitting its
report and in no event later than August 30, 2003.
GEORGE W. BUSH
THE WHITE HOUSE,
December 11, 2002.
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