The United States Postal Service (USPS)

The United States Postal Service is the only courier service that reaches every address in the United States: 160 million residential, corporate, and post office boxes. Postal services do not charge taxes on operating costs, but rely on the sale of stamps, products, and services to provide funding for their operations.

The United States Postal Service, as an agency of the United States government, has a long history of ensuring the safe communication between the government and the American people.

Many people are familiar with our history, starting with the Second Continental Congress in 1775 and Benjamin Franklin, and continuing until 1787, when the postal provision of the United States Constitution authorized Congress to establish post offices and postal routes. Congress exercised these powers and passed the Postal Service Act of 1792, making the postal service a permanent fixture of the federal government. The bill includes provisions to promote press freedom, personal communication privacy, and expand the country's tangible infrastructure, all of which are crucial for the development and prosperity of our nation.

These principles and goals are enduring. Although radio, television and the Internet have irreversibly changed our information collection habits, postal communication is still the most secure and flexible form of communication, providing the American people with a delivery infrastructure vital to our national security.

USPS retains the largest physical and logistical infrastructure among all non military government agencies, providing an essential foundation to support the constantly changing and evolving national communication network. The United States Postal Service plays a crucial role in implementing digital commerce by leveraging its expertise in scheduling and bulk sorting.