Senator Josh Hawley introduced the “No Bonuses for Bad Service Act” on July 22, 2026, legislation that would block bonuses for U.S. Postal Service leadership until mail delivery meets a 95% on-time standard. The Missouri Republican’s bill targets the Postmaster General and Deputy Postmaster General, preventing the USPS Board of Governors from approving additional compensation for these executives in any fiscal year the agency fails to meet its on-time delivery benchmark.
Hawley’s move comes after months of scrutiny over USPS executive pay amid widespread service failures. The agency has posted $25 billion in losses over the last three fiscal years, according to the senator’s office, yet leadership has continued receiving substantial bonuses. Over the past decade, Postmasters General accumulated more than $2 million in additional compensation.
The timing reflects growing frustration with USPS performance. During Louis DeJoy’s final three years as Postmaster General, the Board of Governors approved $567,000 in bonus compensation, even as delivery rates declined. David Steiner, who assumed the role in July 2025, received a $170,000 bonus in his first year—a decision Hawley directly challenged in a Senate committee hearing on June 24, 2026.
At that hearing, Steiner warned the Senate Homeland Security Committee that USPS would exhaust its cash reserves within 12 months without congressional intervention. Despite this fiscal crisis, the Postmaster General defended the bonuses as tied to performance metrics and organizational goals. Hawley pressed Steiner on why executives continued receiving bonuses while Americans waited weeks for mail delivery, particularly in rural areas. In one Missouri incident, a massive pile of undelivered mail was discovered abandoned in a vacant lot.
The bill requires USPS to submit annual delivery-rate reports to the Postal Regulatory Commission, creating a formal mechanism to track performance against the 95% standard. Hawley’s proposal reflects broader congressional concern over USPS finances and service. The agency has also raised postage rates on households and businesses while missing its own service standards. USPS stamp prices increased to 82 cents in July 2026, continuing a pattern of rate hikes even as delivery reliability deteriorated.
The measure aligns with similar efforts in Congress. U.S. Representative Dale Strong of Alabama introduced a comparable bill targeting USPS leadership bonuses, signaling bipartisan interest in conditioning executive compensation on measurable service improvements. Neither bill has yet advanced to a vote, but both reflect mounting pressure on the Postal Service to prioritize delivery performance over executive rewards.
Sources
- Senator Josh Hawley’s office — official announcement of the No Bonuses for Bad Service Act, July 22, 2026, including bill provisions, USPS financial losses, and historical bonus data
- Fox News — reporting on the bill’s 95% on-time delivery threshold and Hawley’s legislative intent
- C-SPAN — video and context of Hawley’s June 24, 2026 Senate committee exchange with Postmaster General Steiner on bonuses and USPS finances
- Columbia Missourian — coverage of the bill announcement and Hawley’s investigation into USPS service failures
- Rocket City Now — reporting on parallel Alabama legislation by Representative Dale Strong targeting USPS bonuses
