For most Americans, the price of a First-Class U.S. Postage
Stamp is 45 cents. While this is still a bargain considering that many other
countries around the globe charge more, and in some cases a great deal more,
there are some individuals who have the option of sending mail without cost to
them.
Since the founding of the Postal Service in 1775, members of
Congress have been able to send official business mail without a postage stamp.
This practice, called franked
mail, allows an elected official in the House of Representatives
or the Senate
to use their signature, either handwritten or facsimile, in place of a stamp on
an envelope. Franked mail can only include mass mailing of material for the
area they were elected to and not campaign material or other personal reasons. There
are many regulations on what an elected official can send as franked mail, as
well as penalties for misuse.
Although members of Congress can send this mail without cost
to them, the Postal Service is still paid for its services by the U.S.
Treasury. The amount of franked mail that passes through the system is counted
and recorded by control mechanisms in the Senate, House of Representatives and
the Postal Service. The cost for each piece is reimbursed to the
USPS.
What do you think about franked mail?
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