Washington, D.C., December 20, 2006 - Congress passed H.R. 6407, the “Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act,” on December 9, 2006. The legislation, which provides a 10 year postal rate cap mechanism and creates new management efficiencies at the United States Postal Service (USPS), was signed by President Bush today. H.R. 6407 marks the first major legislative overhaul of the USPS in three decades. PIA co-founded the Coalition for a 21st Century Postal Service, a diverse group of industries and labor that led the charge for passage of postal reform legislation. The following statement is from Michael Makin, President & CEO of Printing Industries of America/Graphic Arts Technical Foundation (PIA/GATF): “PIA applauds the White House for enacting this important legislation that will allow the “mailing economy”—of which printing is a prime sector—to thrive in years to come. The mailing economy employs almost nine million workers and represents nearly nine percent of the nation’s GDP. This legislation will allow the mailing community to plan for affordable, predictable rate increases, while also bringing modern, post-Internet era management efficiencies to the US Postal Service. PIA thanks President Bush for signing meaningful, comprehensive postal reform into law.”