Postal Reform A Dead Letter?

"While I remain committed to the goal of passing the bill in the lame-duck session, I do not know if that will be possible," said Collins - who, as chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, has jurisdiction over the Postal Service.

A pivotal issue is whether the Postal Service should price single-piece parcels based on market forces alongside competitors such as UPS and FedEx, or have those rates set annually by the Postal Regulatory Commission.

The Collins proposal would have had parcel prices set by the commission - a provision that prompted UPS to withdraw its support of the legislation.

Meanwhile, the National Association of Letter Carriers launched an 11th hour attack on the legislation after learning that it contained language that would have resulted in a workers compensation cut.

Collins' House counterpart, Government Reform Committee Chairman Tom Davis of Virginia, last week expressed optimism that the bill could be revived - but also identified the rate increase and worker compensation issues as potential hang-ups.

For daily coverage of action on the Hill, visit National Journal's CongressDaily.