President Bush Signs Postal Reform Bill

Washington, DC, December 20, 2006 — The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) applauds the quick action of Congress and the Administration in enacting postal reform legislation. Earlier this month, House and Senate leaders worked out an historic compromise that creates a foundation for the first major overhaul of US Postal Service (USPS) operations in more than 36 years. President Bush signed the bill (H.R. 6407) into law in a ceremony this afternoon at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington, DC.

Joining Congressional leaders to witness this historic occasion were John A. Greco, Jr., DMA’s president & CEO; Jerry Cerasale, senior vice president for Government Affairs; and Ed Gleiman, former chairman of the Postal Rate Commission and a longtime consultant to DMA on postal issues.

The new law will allow the Postal Service to transform its operating structure to better meet the changing economic and technological needs of the 21st century. “This isn’t just a huge win for mailers, it’s a huge win for the entire direct marketing community,” said Greco.

“As interactive communications advanced over the last decade, many thought that direct mail would become obsolete,” Greco said. “Instead, what we have seen is that print, broadcast, and online channels have converged to create an integrated, multichannel marketplace. And since the success of the marketplace depends on the health of each of its components, the postal reforms that were signed into law this afternoon will have a positive effect that extends far beyond the traditional mailing community.”

# # #

About DMA

The Direct Marketing Association (www.the-dma.org) is the leading global trade association of businesses and nonprofit organizations using and supporting multichannel direct marketing tools and techniques. DMA advocates industry standards for responsible marketing, promotes relevance as the key to reaching consumers with desirable offers, and provides cutting-edge research, education, and networking opportunities to improve results throughout the end-to-end direct marketing process. Founded in 1917, DMA today represents more than 3,600 companies from dozens of vertical industries in the US and 50 other nations, including a majority of the Fortune 100 companies, as well as nonprofit organizations.

In 2006, marketers – commercial and nonprofit – will spend an estimated $166.5 billion on direct marketing in the United States. Measured against total US sales, these advertising expenditures will generate an estimated $1.93 trillion in incremental sales. This year, direct marketing will account for 10.3 percent of total US GDP. Also, there are today 1.7 million direct marketing employees in the US alone. Their collective sales efforts directly support 8.8 million other jobs. That accounts for 10.5 million US jobs.

The Power of Direct: Relevance. Responsibility. Results.

RSS Subscription