Aberdeen, SD – U.S. Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD) is calling on the United States Postal Service (USPS) to extend its moratorium on closing or consolidating rural post offices and mail processing facilities. Johnson believes the extension is necessary because the Postal Service should not make painful and permanent changes before Congress completes its work on postal reform.
While the Senate passed bipartisan postal reform legislation last week, the House of Representatives has yet to put forward a serious proposal that will put the USPS on a stable fiscal path without putting services in rural communities in jeopardy. The current moratorium, which Johnson helped put in place last December, expires May 15, 2012.
“I want the Postal Service to keep the moratorium in place so that devastating cuts aren’t made to rural post offices and processing centers while we wait for the House to pass postal reform and the agency to implement these changes,” said Johnson. “The House should pass the bipartisan legislation we worked out in the Senate that addresses the Postal Service’s fiscal problems and prevents drastic cuts in service, especially in rural states like South Dakota.”
The 21st Century Postal Service Act of 2012, which Johnson helped pass last week, provides a bipartisan alternative that puts the Postal Service on a sustainable path forward, while ensuring that individuals and small businesses in rural areas continue to have access to quality and affordable mail service.
The House has yet to bring a bill to the floor, but has passed out of committee an extreme and highly partisan bill. It would force the Postal Service to make draconian cuts that would slash service to rural areas and quickly lead to the elimination of Saturday delivery.
A copy of the letter Johnson and his colleagues sent regarding the extension of the moratorium is below:
Dear Postmaster General Donahoe,
We write you today to urge you to extend the current moratorium on the closing of post offices and mail processing facilities. As you know, the current moratorium is scheduled to end on May 15th.
On April 25th, the United States Senate passed S. 1789, the 21st Century Postal Service Act. We believe this bipartisan legislation will provide the United States Postal Service (USPS) with the flexibility and tools it needs to get back on the road to financial stability. The Senate included within this legislation a Sense of the Senate that the USPS should extend the current moratorium until enactment of the postal reform legislation.
While the USPS faces significant financial challenges, we believe that post offices provide social and economic benefits, particularly to rural communities. Rural citizens depend on the mail to manage their lives and stay connected with their government. A 2011 Commerce Department report shows that over 30 percent of U.S households did not have broadband Internet access at home and over 25 percent of households did not even use the Internet. Postal mail remains the one universal service connecting the American people to commerce, government, news, and social and civic institutions.
Preserving and maintaining a viable Postal Service and its ability to continue to serve the entire nation is an indispensable element for the entire postal industry, its workers, and most importantly the many small businesses and communities around the country who depend on a strong and reliable USPS.
We are deeply concerned that the closing of these postal facilities prior to postal reform legislation being enacted would be devastating to communities around the country. This moratorium will provide the time needed to enact the reforms in the 21st Century Postal Service Act. Again, we strongly urge you to extend the current moratorium on the closing of postal facilities.
Sincerely,
Sen. Max Baucus
Sen. Mark Begich
Sen. Michael Bennet
Sen. Jeff Bingaman
Sen. Richard Blumenthal
Sen. Roy Blunt
Sen. John Boozman
Sen. Barbara Boxer
Sen. Ben Cardin
Sen. Robert Casey
Sen. Thad Cochran
Sen. Kent Conrad
Sen. Dick Durbin
Sen. Dianne Feinstein
Sen. Al Franken
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand
Sen. Kay Hagan
Sen. Tom Harkin
Sen. John Hoeven
Sen. Tim Johnson
Sen. John Kerry
Sen. Amy Klobuchar
Sen. Herb Kohl
Sen. Mary Landrieu
Sen. Frank Lautenberg
Sen. Patrick Leahy
Sen. Joe Manchin
Sen. Claire McCaskill
Sen. Jeff Merkley
Sen. Barbara Mikulski
Sen. Patty Murray
Sen. Ben Nelson
Sen. Mark Pryor
Sen. Jack Reed
Sen. Bernie Sanders
Sen. Charles Schumer
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen
Sen. Debbie Stabenow
Sen. Mark Udall
Sen. Tom Udall
Sen. Jon Tester
Sen. Roger Wicker
Sen. Ron Wyden
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