Clyburn says USPS 'isn't losing money' after it reported a $2.2 billion loss last quarter

House Majority Whip Rep. Jim Clyburn argued that the U.S. Postal Service "isn't losing money" and that everything the government is involved with does not need to turn a profit.

Last quarter, USPS reported a net loss of $2.2 billion, slightly down from $2.3 billion for the same quarter last year.

"It's not a business. It's a service and this whole notion that we have to get rid of the post office because it's losing money. The post office isn't losing money. You're paying for a service to keep this country together," he said during a discussion with The Hill Newspaper broadcast on Wednesday.

"This notion that everything the government does is supposed to make a profit -- that's why we have so many students in debt today because we started making a profit off of student loans. We ought to be assisting students to get an education," he added.

According to the College Board, from the 1989-90 school year to 2019-20, "average tuition and fees tripled at public four-year and more than doubled at public two-year and private nonprofit four-year institutions, after adjusting for inflation."

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is calling the House back into session to provide federal assistance to USPS heading into the November election. 

Clyburn, who was first elected to the House in 1993, called on the USPS to hire more employees. 

"We're not here to make a profit off of them," he said. 

The South Carolina Democrat said the bill the House will vote on Saturday will include USPS support and "other things." He did not elaborate further.

Clyburn was also asked about his endorsement of Joe Biden ahead of the South Carolina primary giving the former vice president's campaign momentum to win the nomination.

"I don't consider myself to be a kingmaker at all. I only reflected what I was hearing from my constituents," he said.