Here’s something that should come as no surprise — 88 percent of Americans hold a favorable opinion of the United States Postal Service (USPS). After all, there are few things more essential than mail delivery, and postal workers not only do a great job, but the service is delivered at a low cost to the public while reaching every community in the country, no matter how small.

Yet despite being held in such high regard, the post office doesn’t get much respect from lawmakers.

Since 1970, when the Post Office Department was reorganized into the modern-day USPS, the agency has seen its subsidies slowly whittled away. It is now expected to fully cover its operating costs, forcing it to function more and more like a private business than a public service.