1963 Congressional Hearings on Fourth-Class Mail Rate Authority

Original title: Fourth-class mail rates: hearings before the Committee on Post Office and Civil Service, House of Representatives, Eighty-eighth Congress, first session, on H.R. 5795, a bill to repeal the provisions of law relating to the fixing by the Postmaster General with the consent of the Interstate Commerce Commission of rates of postage on fourth-class mail, and for other purposes; H.R. 2525, a bill to vest in Congress the exclusive authority to set rates of postage for fourth-class mail, May 1, 2, 8, 15, 22, 23, and June 4, 5, 1963.

Record date · July 14, 2026

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What This Bill Does

This document records the 1963 House Committee on Post Office and Civil Service hearings regarding two bills, H.R. 5795 and H.R. 2525. The proposed legislation aimed to shift the authority for setting postage rates from the Postmaster General and the to the United States Congress.

Why it matters

The hearings address the fundamental question of whether postal rate-setting should be an administrative function or a legislative responsibility.

Who It Affects

Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

Postmaster General

The legislation proposes removing their existing authority to set fourth-class mail rates.

Directly affected

Interstate Commerce Commission

The legislation proposes removing their role in consenting to fourth-class mail rate changes.

Directly affected

Congress

The legislation proposes granting them exclusive authority to set fourth-class mail rates.

Key Facts

Hearings were held over several dates in May and June 1963.
The legislation sought to remove the Postmaster General's ability to set rates with ICC consent.
The goal of the bills was to transfer rate-setting power exclusively to Congress.
The hearings took place during the Eighty-eighth Congress, first session.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the main purpose of these hearings?

The hearings were held to discuss transferring the power to set rates from the Postmaster General and the ICC to Congress.

Who currently sets fourth-class mail rates according to the bills?

At the time of the hearings, the Postmaster General set the rates with the consent of the .

What else do you want to know?

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Full breakdown

Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.

Related Legislation

hearing transcript

1963 Congressional Hearings on Fourth-Class Mail Rate Authority

This document records the 1963 House Committee on Post Office and Civil Service hearings regarding two bills, H.R. 5795 and H.R. 2525. The proposed le

hearing transcript