USPS acts on Pittenger request, will consider Veterans stamp

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

U.S. POSTAL SERVICE ACTS ON CONGRESSMAN PITTENGER’S REQUEST, REVISES RULES TO ALLOW CONSIDERATION OF MONROE VETERAN’S “STAMP OUT PTSD”

MONROE – Acting on a request from Congressman Robert Pittenger and 55 Members of the U.S. House and Senate, the United States Postal Service has announced revised rules allowing for consideration of new “semi-postal stamps” to raise money for charitable causes.

Congressman Pittenger and his 55 colleagues made the request in June 2015 on behalf of Garland Denny, a North Carolina Navy veteran who waged a long and often lonely fight advocating for a special postage stamp to raise money for veterans services.  Mr. Denny died in October.

“Mr. Denny was tenacious in his mission to support veterans.  If he were still with us, I’m confident he’d already be on the phone building support for this new opportunity, and the Postal Service would be flooded with calls and letters urging creation of the Stamp Out PTSD semi-postal stamp,” said Congressman Pittenger.  “Together, we can do this for Mr. Denny.”

Under Mr. Denny’s proposal, the “Stamp Out PTSD” semi-postal stamp would raise money for PTSD research and treatment.  Congress gave USPS full authority to create additional semi-postal stamps in 2005, but the USPS until now had declined to use that authority.

Congressman Pittenger began working with Mr. Denny after taking office in 2013, including arranging meetings with the White House and the U.S. Postal Service to discuss the proposal.  Congressman Pittenger and his staff are now working with Chuck Denny, who took up his father’s mission, to submit an updated proposal based on the new USPS rules.

“Garland Denny was a true and dedicated patriot who recognized a need and dedicated his retirement to meeting that need,” said Congressman Pittenger.  “Chuck Denny is a true and dedicated son who is making his father proud by continuing the mission.  We are honored to support the Denny family on this important project.”

Similar to the Breast Cancer Research Stamp, the Stamp Out PTSD semi-postal stamp would sell for more than the cost of first-class postage, with the difference donated to PTSD treatment.

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