During fly-in, NNA members voice newspaper concerns with legislators and staff

Jul 1, 2025

While in Washington, D.C., the NNA public policy team took a photo opp with a pop-up of Elvis Presley. Left to right: NNA Executive Director Lynne Lance; Public Policy Committee Chair Brett Wesner, publisher, Wesner Publications, Cordell, Oklahoma; NNA Postal Chair Matt Paxton, publisher, The News-Gazette, Lexington, Virginia; Brad Hill, CEO, Interlink of Berrien Springs, Michigan; John Denny Montgomery, publisher, Purcell (Oklahoma) Register; NNA Past President John Galer, publisher, The Journal-News, Hillsboro, Illinois; Brad Thompson, president, Detroit Legal News Publishing LLC; and NNA Chair Martha Diaz Aszkenazy, publisher, The San Fernando Valley (California) Sun/El Sol Newspapers. (Lisa McGraw, Pub Aux)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Early June 2025, the NNA Public Policy Team — NNA Chair Martha Diaz Aszkenazy, publisher, The San Fernando Valley (California) Sun/El Sol Newspapers; Public Policy Committee Chair Brett Wesner, publisher, Wesner Publications, Cordell, Oklahoma; and members NNA Treasuer Jeremy Gulban, CEO, CherryRoad Media, Parsippany, New Jersey; Brad Hill, CEO, Interlink, Berrien Springs, Michigan; Brad Thompson, president, Detroit Legal News Publishing LLC; John Denny Montgomery, publisher, Purcell (Oklahoma) Register; NNA Director Peggy Scott, assistant publisher, Leader Publications, Fesus, Missouri; NNA Past President John Galer, publisher, The Journal-News, Hillsboro, Illinois; Bryan Chester, general manager, Columbia Missourian; and NNA Postal Chair Matt Paxton, publisher, The News-Gazette, Lexington, Virginia — joined NNA Executive Director Lynne Lance and Public Policy Manager Lisa McGraw along with postal strategist Rafe Morrisey and advisor on federal advertising issues Claudia James and her team from Cogent Strategies in Washington to discuss postal issues and other newspaper related concerns with various legislative staffers and members of Congress and the Senate.

During the fly-in discussions with staff, NNA members emphasized support for the USPS Serves Us Act (HR 3004) introduced by Congressman Sam Graves (R-Louisiana) and urged legislators to co-sponsor the bill. There was also discussion around the soon to be newly appointed Postmaster General David Steiner and the hope that he will be more customer service conscience. The team met with both House and Senate oversight committee staff and other members of Congress who have expressed concern for newspaper issues and will be following up on those discussions to advance HR 3004.

NNA also urged all they met with to consider holding an oversight hearing to listen to what the customers of USPS have to say rather than continuing the pattern from the last several years of only bringing in the Postmaster General and members of the Board of Governors. We are delighted to report that we have heard there was a hearing on June 24, 2025, to do just that, thanks to the Chair of the House Oversight Subcommittee on Government Operations Pete Sessions (R-Texas).

NNA turned in testimony for the hearing. In addition to the work on postal issues, some of the fly-in participants also spoke with key legislative staff about continuing our efforts to urge using local media when spending federal dollars to promote government initiatives.

Those in attendance would agree that the highlight of the trip was seeing NNA legal counsel Tonda Rush, who joined us for a collegial dinner during the event.

We deeply appreciate all who got involved, be it contacting your legislators with a call or email or flying into D.C. to visit. Staying in the forefront on our issues in important to our success in crafting new legislation.

Going forward, the public policy team may reach out to members to seek participation in Zoom meetings with your elected officials. Having familiar faces from the district is always helpful in legislative meetings.