That's a bad quarterly loss:

The loss for the spring quarter, which ended June 30, was significantly higher than the $740 million loss for the same three-month period last year. The agency blamed increases in compensation and benefit costs for the red ink and said it would be unable to make a congressionally mandated payment of $5.7 billion this September for health benefits for future retirees. The loss came despite a 2 percent increase in operating revenue compared to last spring.

A lot of conservatives are going to point to this as a sign of government waste. They need to know two things: First, the USPS doesn't receive tax dollars. Second, the USPS is surviving under a congressionally mandated crisis: They're forced to set aside money for health benefits for future employees, and they're not allowed to pursue other revenue streams. This is a case of conservative legislators artificially inflating government and then using the monster they created to whine about big government.