Congress might not move much more legislation this year, but more postal namings seem a safe bet.
In the House, 74 post office renaming bills have either passed the chamber or been introduced, with 24 considered under suspension of rules this Monday alone. Seven of those have become law with more expected once the Senate signs off.
Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) recently won House backing to have a dedicated a post office in Kingsland, Ark., after Arkansas-born country music idol Johnny Cash. Westerman acknowleged in an election year with most substantive legislation on hold that postal namings are one of the few measures that can attract broad, bipartisan support. Many of the bills pass on a simple voice vote.
Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) agreed, saying, “I like to say those post offices aren’t going to name themselves and I’ll probably bring one eventually but it’s about all they got right now. We’re passing some things but Washington’s a glacier.”
Post offices can only be renamed via an act of Congress or via dedication by the postal service. Since Congress gained postal naming authority in 1967, 980 facilities have been dedicated by lawmakers.
Frequent dedications have been made for Civil Rights figures, military veterans, former lawmakers, and even prominent pop culture figures. For example, Rep. Morgan McGarvey (D-Ky.), introduced a post office renaming bill this year to honor Alberta Odell Jones, the first Black woman to pass the bar exam in Kentucky and symbol of the Civil Rights movement in Louisville.
And, if Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-Fl.) has his way, there will also soon be a post office dedicated to tropical rock star and Margaritaville founder Jimmy Buffett in Key West, Fla..
Roughly two months after a dedication bill is passed into law, the renamed post office will host a dedication ceremony.
“The interest in our facilities is a testament to the role our Post Offices have in local communities, and when a dedication bill is passed, we work to ensure that the community can participate in honoring whomever Congress has chosen,” Postal Service spokesperson Martha Johnson said.
But namings don’t always work out or go smoothly. Rep. Alma Adams (D-N.C.) sponsored a bill to rename a post office in Winston-Salem after renowned poet Maya Angelou, and while the bill became law, nine Republican representatives opposed it — including one who believed Angelou supported communism.
There are also instances of renaming bills so controversial they were never voted on. This was the case with bills in both chambers to rename a post office in Raleigh, N.C. after controversial Senator Jesse Helms. Thousands of people protested the renaming over Helms’ racist and homophobic views.
Steve Hutkins of USPS watchdog site Save the Post Office said dedicating a post office will not make that post office impervious to closing if USPS deems a closure is necessary. From Jan. 1, 2020 to Jan. 1, 2024, 102 post offices closed according to USPS’ website. The actual total of closed post offices might be higher, though, as USPS states not all discontinued post offices are listed.