U.S. Rep. Dale Strong (R-Huntsville) has introduced legislation that would prohibit performance-based bonuses for the U.S. Postmaster General in years when the Postal Service fails to meet delivery standards or financial benchmarks.

The Postal Executive Responsibility, Fiscal Oversight, and Results-based Management (PERFORM) Act was introduced Thursday with the support of Alabama’s entire congressional delegation.

“The American people don’t get bonuses for failure, and neither should the Postmaster General,” Strong said. “The PERFORM Act ends the practice of rewarding poor performance and makes clear that leadership must earn incentive pay by delivering results, not excuses.”

Under the proposal, the Postmaster General would be ineligible for a performance-based bonus if the U.S. Postal Service, during the previous fiscal year:

• Fails to meet nationwide service performance targets.
• Reports a net loss.
• Receives a material weakness, adverse audit opinion or disclaimer in its financial audit.
• Fails to submit a required report to Congress.

Strong’s office said the Postal Service has reported more than $25 billion in net losses over the past three fiscal years, including a $9 billion loss in fiscal year 2025. The congressman also cited continued delays in the delivery of medications, bills, checks, legal documents and election mail.

Despite those financial losses and service issues, Strong said the Postmaster General remains eligible for performance bonuses. According to his office, Postmasters General have received more than $2 million in bonuses over the past decade.

“If the U.S. Postal Service were a private sector operation, it would have filed for bankruptcy years ago,” Strong said. “Further, if a CEO’s tenure saw an average annual net loss of $10 billion while service standards continued to decline, company leadership would be standing in the unemployment line, not collecting performance bonuses.”

The legislation is co-sponsored by U.S. Reps. Barry Moore, Shomari Figures, Mike Rogers, Robert Aderholt, Gary Palmer and Terri Sewell.

“The American people expect accountability from every part of the federal government, and the U.S. Postal Service should be no exception,” Moore said. “When USPS is losing billions of dollars, failing to meet service standards, and falling short of basic financial accountability, taxpayers should not be expected to foot the bill for performance bonuses.”

Rogers said the measure would create greater accountability for Postal Service leadership.

“The United States Postal Service loses billions per year, yet the Postmaster General still receives performance-based bonuses nearing $200,000,” Rogers said. “We must hold the Postmaster General to account, and removing performance-based bonuses in years following substandard results is a great start.”

Aderholt said the Postal Service has fallen short of its historic mission.

“As we celebrate America’s 250th anniversary, it’s worth remembering that the United States Postal Service is actually older than the nation itself,” Aderholt said. “Yet in recent years, it has fallen far short of the vision our first Postmaster General, Benjamin Franklin, had for our national mail service.”

Palmer said bonuses should reflect performance.

“The Postal Service has lost billions of dollars while Americans continue to deal with delayed mail and declining service, yet executives are still eligible for hefty bonuses,” Palmer said. “Being rewarded with taxpayer dollars for poor service is unacceptable.”

Sewell said she supports increased oversight of Postal Service leadership while emphasizing the importance of postal workers.

“I am proud to join my colleagues in the Alabama delegation in supporting the PERFORM Act, which will improve oversight of U.S. Postal Service leadership,” Sewell said. “Postal workers and post offices are lifelines for our communities, and they deserve the resources necessary to carry out their critical mission.”

Strong’s office noted the congressman has also pursued several initiatives aimed at improving mail service in North Alabama, including securing a U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General audit of regional mail delivery performance, advocating for a new post office in the rapidly growing 35763 ZIP code, supporting the review of ZIP code boundaries in Priceville and Skyline, and working to restore a North Alabama-based processing and distribution center.

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