Members of Congress enjoy a benefit known as the franking privilege, which allows them to send mail to their constituents free of charge. This money comes from the near-bankrupt U.S. Postal Service, which in turn passes the cost on to taxpayers. Since its inception in the 18th century, the congressional franking privilege has spawned widespread criticism. Its detractors have long-argued that the privilege imposes a high cost on taxpayers, is susceptible to abuse, and undermines the democratic process by giving congressional incumbents an unfair advantage over their challengers.
Although lawmakers are expressly forbidden from using the franking privilege to mail non-informational materials to their constituents, they have found various means of circumventing this restriction. Craig Holman, a lobbyist at Public Citizen, told Bloomberg in a July 5, 2012 article, “Very, very rarely have I seen franked mail that’s just information to constituents about what Congress is doing.” Unsurprisingly, members of Congress typically make copious use of the frank during election years. For example, a March 30, 2012 Congressional Research Service (CRS) report points out that Congress spent $36.3 million on franked mail in FY 2010, prior to the 2010 midterm elections.
Congress’ ability to send unsolicited mail on the public’s dime is an anachronistic policy that lends itself to corruption and provides for incumbent politicians an unfair electoral advantage. The policy also imposes a sizeable and unnecessary fiscal burden on taxpayers. Congress can take steps toward rooting out corruption, preserving the integrity of the democratic process, and saving public money by reforming the franking privilege.
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