Sen. Carper Statement on Rep. Issa’s Postal Reform Act

WASHINGTON – Today, Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, Federal Services, and International Security, released a statement in response to the introduction of the Postal Reform Act by Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), Chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Sen. Carper introduced the Postal Operations Sustainment and Transformation (POST) Act last month.

“While I welcome Congressman Issa’s interest in finding solutions to the Postal Service’s serious financial challenges, I, unfortunately, have deep concerns about the approach taken in the legislation put forward today,” said Sen. Carper. “This bill appears to assume that the Postal Service will undergo a complete financial collapse in the coming months. Instead of preventing a catastrophic collapse from happening, this bill would abdicate responsibility for cleaning up what would be a colossal financial disaster both for the Postal Service and the broader economy to a newly-created government entity. This is unacceptable. No practical solution for the Postal Services’ serious financial woes should allow them to go belly up and jeopardize our fragile economic recovery, along with the jobs of some 7 million employees in the mailing industry who depend on a healthy Postal Service.

“We know what needs to happen to put the Postal Service on the right path. Congress just needs to have the courage to do what is necessary to make that happen. Namely, Congress needs to stop acting like a 535-member Board of Directors – each protecting their individual parochial prerogatives – and finally give the Postal Service the freedom and flexibility we always say they should have to make the tough, but necessary, businesses decisions needed to survive and even thrive in the long term. We are just beginning the process of finding a legislative solution to the Postal Service’s problems, but we must act quickly to address this dire situation. I look forward to working with Congressman Issa and Senator Collins to find common ground on this issue.”

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