On Monday, President Barack Obama released his proposal for the 2013 fiscal year budget. Part of the plan included a few possible life rafts that could save $25 billion over 11 years for USPS, which continues to struggle amid declining postal volumes and rising expenses.

Echoing suggestions he made to the fiscal supercommittee last fall, President Obama's proposal would increase the cost of stamps, cut Saturdays from the delivery schedule and change the system for funding postal workers' retirements, Ed O'Keefe writes for The Washington Post.

O'Keefe explains that despite USPS paying for its own operations and running without any taxpayer money, current and former employees receive benefits from federal retirement, healthcare and workers' compensation accounts.

Earlier this month, USPS announced that it had posted a net loss of $3.3 billion for the first quarter of its 2012 fiscal year, running October to December 2011. However, Postmaster General and CEO Patrick Donahoe expressed optimism that if legislators were to act quickly to cut the costs "that are not under our control," USPS would be able to have "a bright future and provide the nation with affordable and reliable delivery for generations to come."