On June 23, Congressman Darryl Issa, chair of the House Oversight Committee, introduced HR 2309, the Postal Reform Act of 2011. Among many other changes, it repeals cheap postal rates for Qualified Political Committees. The existing law, 39 USC 3626, gives political parties the same inexpensive third class postal rates that are enjoyed by nonprofit organizations. Existing law, as passed by Congress in 1979, only gave these cheap rates to parties that had polled 25% of the vote for President at the last election. In 1980, a U.S. District Court in Greenberg v Bolger, 497 F Supp 756 (e.d. N.Y.) had declared that the Constitution did not permit the government to discriminate against minor parties relative to major parties, so the cheap rate was extended to all national political parties. In 1983 another U.S. District Court in Spencer v Herdesty, 571 F Supp 444 (s.d.Ohio) had granted injunctive relief to local political parties as well, and in 1985 granted declaratory relief also, 613 F Supp 990.

Because HR 2309 has been referred to Issa’s committee, it is certain that this bill will receive hearings, and will probably advance to the House floor, although it has other committee hurdles first.