[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 139 (Thursday, September 29, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: September 29, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
            POSTMASTER GENERAL STAMPS OUT HOPES FOR VETERANS

 Mr. SMITH. Mr. President, this past Memorial Day, May 30, 
1994, the Senate wrote to Postmaster General Marvin Runyon requesting 
the issuance of a commemorative stamp honoring American POW's and 
MIA's. On September 12, 1994, I took the floor to notify my colleagues 
that, at that time, 14 weeks later, we still had not received a 
response to our letter. Since 82 Senators had signed the letter, I felt 
that it would interest them to know that the Postal Service still 
lacked the common courtesy to respond.
  Well, Mr. President, over 100 days, several unanswered telephone 
calls, and one floor statement later, I have the Postmaster General's 
answer, if it can be called an answer. I would point out that this is 
not the original signed copy. That is still making its way through the 
Postal delivery system. This one is a photocopy. In fact, I have 
received two photocopies. Both were addressed to me, but neither was 
intended for me. As indicated by the highlighted names at the end of 
the letter, one was intended for Senator Kempthorne, and one was 
intended for Senator Daschle, both of whom were signers of the original 
letter.
  The issue that brings me to the floor is not that I received the 
letter third-hand. Frankly, I was happy to receive it at all. The issue 
is not the fact that it took nearly 4 months to get an answer. I 
addressed that issue last time I took the floor.
  The issue, Mr. President, is the letter itself. If this letter is 
representative of the current Postal Service management, we are in big 
trouble. The letter demonstrates that its author, Postmaster Runyon, or 
whoever drafted the letter, has little command over the issue at hand. 
Indeed, one would seem to infer from the response that the writer 
hardly read the original letter, signed by 82 Senators.
  To begin, Mr. President, I will ask that the Senate's original letter 
to Postmaster Runyon, his response and my followup letter to him be 
inserted for the Record at this point, and then I will go through--
point by point--my concerns with his response.

                                                  U.S. Senate,

                                     Washington, DC, May 30, 1994.
     Hon. Marvin Runyon,
     Postmaster General, U.S. Postal Service, Washington, DC
       Dear Marvin: We are writing to urge you to approve the 
     issuance of a commemorative stamp honoring American prisoners 
     of war and missing in action personnel.
       As you may know, in late 1992, the Senate unanimously 
     adopted an amendment to the Department of Defense 
     Authorization Bill mandating the issuance of a POW/MIA stamp. 
     Although this amendment was removed from the bill in 
     deference to the normal stamp approval process, the 
     conference nevertheness stated its strong support for such a 
     stamp.
       The issuance of a POW/MIA stamp is very important to us 
     and, we hope, important to you. As we are sure you realize, 
     it is also important to the families of missing service 
     personnel and to millions of American veterans, including 
     many Postal Service employees.
       We are also asking that the normal licensing fee for the 
     stamp design be waived, as was recently done for the AIDS 
     stamp, in order to allow veterans' organizations and POW/MIA 
     family organizations to reproduce the design.
       This year marks the 30th anniversary of the capture of 
     Everett Alvarez, a Lieutenant j.g. in the U.S. Navy, who 
     became the first and longest-held American POW in North 
     Vietnam. Lt. Alvarez was released in 1973, during ``Operation 
     Homecoming.'' We are also observing the 50th anniversary of 
     the landing at Normandy, which led to the liberation of 
     Europe and the subsequent release of hundreds of American 
     POWs. Given the recent focus on America's efforts to account 
     for POWs and MIAs, we believe that the release of a POW/MIA 
     stamp would be timely and appropriate.
       National POW/MIA Recognition Day is scheduled for September 
     16, 1994. We suggest that this would be an excellent target 
     date for the unveiling of the stamp. As the expedited 
     approval of the AIDS awareness stamp demonstrated, this date 
     is not unreasonable.
       A POW/MIA stamp meets the critical elements normally used 
     for selecting commemorative stamps.
       1. American POWs and MIAs have contributed significantly to 
     America and its history.
       2. The POW/MIA issue is a theme of widespread national 
     appeal and significance. Indeed, Presidents Reagan, Bush, and 
     Clinton have publicly declared the resolution of this issue 
     to be a matter of ``highest national priority.''
       3. A POW/MIA stamp was last issued on November 24, 1970, 
     over 23 years ago. This far exceeds the policy of not 
     considering stamp proposals if a stamp treating the same 
     subject has been issued in the last 10 years.
       4. The Postal Service normally desires the submission of 
     subjects three years prior to the proposed date of issuance. 
     Members of Congress, veterans organizations, and families of 
     POWs and MIAs have been continuously petitioning for such a 
     stamp for well over a decade.
       5. As the number of petitions which have already been sent 
     to the Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee would clearly 
     demonstrate, there is considerable interest in a POW/MIA 
     stamp and, as such, its issuance would generate millions of 
     dollars in postal revenues. Veterans and veterans' 
     organizations, families and friends of POWs and MIAs, 
     military personnel, and supporters, would all be likely to 
     use such a stamp. From a marketing perspective, a POW/MIA 
     stamp would be an excellent choice.
       We thank you in advance for your assistance and cooperation 
     in this matter, and we look forward to working with you.
           Sincerely yours,
         Bob Smith, Bill Roth, Strom Thurman, Herb Kohl, Dick 
           Lugar, Barbara A. Mikulski, Kent Conrad, Thad Cochran, 
           Fritz Hollings, Alfonse D'Amato, Daniel K. Akaka, David 
           Durenberger, Thomas Daschle, Larry E. Craig, John 
           Breaux, Paul Sarbanes, Jesse Helms, Frank R. 
           Lautenberg, Conrad Burns, Harris Wofford, Jeff 
           Bingaman, Jim Jeffords, Ben Nighthorse Campbell, J. 
           Bennett Johnston, Tom Harkin, Ted Stevens, Kay Bailey 
           Hutchison, Hank Brown, Daniel Inouye, Judd Gregg, J. 
           Lieberman, Arlen Specter, Paul Wellstone, Dirk 
           Kempthorne, George Mitchell, Dan Coats, Lauch 
           Faircloth, John Warner, Patrick Leahy, Paul Simon, Alan 
           Simpson, Don Riegle, Richard Shelby, John Chafee, 
           Dennis DeConcini, Sam Nunn, Robert C. Byrd, Bob Graham, 
           Bill Cohen, Phil Gramm, John F. Kerry.
         Chuck Grassley, Connie Mack, Carol Moseley-Braun, Slade 
           Gorton, Wendell Ford, Jim Sasser, Edward M. Kennedy, 
           David Patrick Moynihan, Chuck Robb, Harlan Mathews, 
           Paul D. Coverdell, Russ Feingold, John Kerry, Patty 
           Murray, Max Baucus, Trent Lott, Harry Reid, Nancy 
           Landon Kassebaum, Christopher J. Dodd, Dianne 
           Feinstein, Alfonse D'Amato, Frank H. Murkowski, Jay 
           Rockefeller, Don Nickles, Richard Bryan, Larry 
           Pressler, Bob Packwood, Pete Domenici, Byron Dorgan, 
           Orrin Hatch, Barbara Boxer, Malcolm Wallop.
                                  ____



                                          U.S. Postal Service,

                               Washington, DC, September 20, 1994.
     Hon. Bob Smith,
     U.S. Senate,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Senator Smith: This is in response to the 35,000 
     signed public petitions and your request along with 81 other 
     Senators, for the issuance of a commemorative stamp on 
     September 16, to honor Prisoners of War and Missing in Action 
     Personnel (POW/MIA).
       The U.S. Postal Service supports the concept of publicizing 
     information and scheduling events to increase public 
     awareness of the continuing plight of locating and releasing 
     POW/MIAs. As noted in your recent correspondence to us, we 
     issued a commemorative POW/MIA stamp over 23 years ago on 
     November 24, 1970. While 23 years may have passed since the 
     issuance of this stamp, it still remains a one-time occasion, 
     in competition with many other historical events. In view of 
     these known realities, we would like to recommend for your 
     consideration an alternative to the issuance of another POW/
     MIA stamp.
       Our suggested option to the POW/MIA commemorative stamp 
     emphasizes the need for a greater national appeal. In doing 
     so, we realize that any relating commemorative events should 
     include not only the efforts of the Postal Service, but that 
     of Congress, state, local, and federal agencies, and POW/MIA 
     organizations. In view of the prospective to both broaden and 
     heighten the emphasis on this issue, we recommend that in 
     1995, Congress establish a national, annual recognition 
     period (day, week, or month) to honor POW/MIAs.
       In its efforts to make certain that such an annual event 
     receives full attention and recognition, the Postal Service 
     would support the activities initiated by the Veterans 
     Administration or other lead governmental organizations. This 
     could be accomplished by reminding our 700,000 employees of 
     the event through creation of a generic special cancellation 
     for use at local ceremonies. Additionally, the creation of a 
     cancellation die hub could be used to cancel mail at selected 
     locations.
       We strongly believe that an annual recognition event would 
     have more impact and generate more public awareness than 
     issuing another one-time commemorative stamp. With that 
     thought in mind, we would appreciate your careful 
     consideration of our proposal. It is our goal to not only 
     bring forth a compromise on this issue, but a greater 
     substantive and meaningful approach to a national issue that 
     is very important to families of missing service personnel, 
     and to millions of American veterans, including Postal 
     Service employees.
           Best regards,
                                                    Marvin Runyon,
                                          Postmaster General, CEO.
                                  ____



                                                  U.S. Senate,

                               Washington, DC, September 30, 1994.
     Marvin Runyon
     Postmaster General, CEO, U.S. Postal Service, Washington, DC.
       Dear Marvin: This is in response to your letter concerning 
     the issuance of a POW/MIA stamp dated September 20, 1994, a 
     copy of which has been provided to my office.
       For your information, Congress has annually enacted a 
     National POW/MIA Recognition Day since 1979 with the support 
     of each Administration during this period. Therefore, your 
     ``compromise'' proposal for an annual POW/MIA day instead of 
     a commemorative stamp is not a reasonable compromise at all. 
     It is offensive to the hundreds of thousands of veterans and 
     POW/MIA families who have petitioned the Postal Service for a 
     stamp on this matter for the last decade.
       Since President Reagan took office, the POW/MIA issue has 
     been designated as a matter of ``highest national priority'' 
     by every Administration. Because of your inadequate response, 
     I am now firmly committed to enacting legislation which will 
     require the Postal Service to issue a POW/MIA stamp.
       Given the expressed views of Congress on this matter by a 
     vote of the Senate, Conference Report language, and the May, 
     1994 follow-up letter, I had hoped, and indeed still hope, 
     that you will alleviate the need for legislative action by 
     issuing a POW/MIA stamp in the same manner the AIDS awareness 
     stamp was issued.
           Sincerely,
                                                         Bob Smith
                                                     U.S. Senator.

  Mr. SMITH. I will start at the top of the page, with the date. 
Postmaster Runyon's letter was sent on September 20, 1994. As my 
colleagues know, I personally presented the original letter to the vice 
president of the Postal Service, Robert Harris, on May 30, 1994. That 
letter, which I have just inserted for the Record, specifically 
requests that the stamp be issued by September 16, 1994. One would 
think that, at the very least, we could have received a response by 
then.
  The letter begins ``This is in response to the 35,000 signed 
petitions . . ..'' Let's stop right here. Mr. President, I received 
that many petitions during my years in the other body alone. The 
Veterans' organizations have certified to me that there have, in fact, 
been hundreds of thousands of petitions sent to the Postal Service on 
this issue. I am not saying that the Postal Service needs to count 
every one of these petitions, although you would think that when 
someone goes through the trouble of signing and mailing a petition, 
they ought to be acknowledged. But there out to be some way to keep a 
close estimate of how many petitions have come in.
  The first sentence goes on to acknowledge our request that the stamp 
be issued by September 16, 1994. This is correct, we did request that 
the stamp be issued on September 16. Although, given that Mr. Runyon's 
letter is dated September 20, 1994, the September 16 deadline would 
seem to be a moot point.
  The next sentence:

       The U.S. Postal Service supports the concept of publicizing 
     information and scheduling events to increase public 
     awareness of the continuing plight of locating and releasing 
     POW/MIAs.

  The most ironic part of this sentence is that the Postal Service 
supports the concept of publicizing information. Every year, we call 
the Postal Service to find out whether the POW/MIA stamp is even up for 
consideration by the Citizen's Stamp Advisory Committee. The Postal 
Service has always strongly maintained that it could not publicize this 
information. To correct that problem, I may well introduce legislation 
next Congress to require the Citizens's Stamp Advisory Committee to 
adhere to all of our Federal ``government in the sunshine'' laws. I 
know that the operations of the Citizens Stamp Advisory Committee were 
of concern to my friend Senator Stevens, the ranking Republican on the 
subcommittee with jurisdiction over these issues, since, during the 
102d Congress, he introduced legislation to restructure the Stamp 
Advisory Committee.
  The letter goes on to say:

       As noted in your recent correspondence to us, we issued a 
     commemorative POW/MIA stamp over 23 years ago on November 24, 
     1970. While 23 years may have passed since the issuance of 
     this stamp, it still remains a one-time occasion, in 
     competition with many other historical events.

  This is a bit confusing to me. First of all, as I understand the same 
approval guidelines, we are only supposed to allow a 10 year period 
between issuing stamps treating the same subject. That period has 
obviously long-since expired. I would like to ask unanimous consent 
that a report by the Congressional Research Service entitled 
``Commemorative Postage Stamps: History, Selection Criteria, and 
Revenue-Raising Potential,'' be included in the Record at the 
conclusion of my remarks. I would point out for my colleagues that the 
Senate's original letter specifically addresses the issue of how a POW/
MIA stamp meet these criteria.
  Second, and most importantly, what does Mr. Runyon mean by ``it still 
remains a one-time occasion''? If any of my colleagues could help me 
figure this one out, I would appreciate it. I hope he is not implying 
that we should only care or be concerned about these Americans only 
once in a lifetime. There were still many POW's in Vietnam in 1970, 
when the POW/MIA/KIA stamp was issued. But, Vietnam was certainly not 
the only place in which Americans were held as prisoners of war, and if 
Mr. Runyon is implying that the taking of prisoners was a one-time 
occasion in Vietnam, he is sorely mistaken. Frankly, I have tried to 
see Mr. Runyon's point here, and I cannot see how he can consider the 
plight of American POW's and MIA's to be a one-time occasion, because 
it certainly is not.
  Frankly, I would like to know what the Postmaster General considers a 
one time occasion. I would assume that the Moon landing would be a one 
time occasion. That was a truly historic occasion, and I can remember 
watching it. Of course we ought to have a stamp honoring that occasion, 
and the men who took that giant step for mankind. They risked their 
lives so that they could spend a long extended period of time in a 
cramped, uncomfortable environment, terrified, and uncertain of their 
fate. It is perfectly appropriate that we pay tribute to their 
achievement. That is why, since that time, there have been no fewer 
than five different stamps treating the subject of the Moon landing. 
There have also been numerous others treating the overall subject of 
space exploration. But, Mr. President, at the same time that all of 
this great achievement took place, there were American soldiers held in 
Vietnamese prison camps, suffering inhuman conditions, and facing near-
certain deaths. They risked everything so that we might have our 
freedom. They are as deserving as anyone of commemoration.
  Mr. President, I would only like to make three more points on the 
subject of the one time occasion. First, the Moon landing was, in fact, 
an occasion. But, POWs and MIAs are people. To commemorate them is not 
to commemorate some one-time occasion, because, in fact, we can not 
point to any one occasion that exemplifies their heroism. We 
commemorate the soldiers themselves, not any related event. Second, I 
would say that, even if it were a one-time event, that is not an 
adequate excuse as to why the Postal Service refuses to issue a stamp. 
That is pointed out by the fact that the Moon landing has been the 
subject of numerous stamps in a shorter amount of time. Third, one 
might say that the Moon landing has much broader appeal. I would 
disagree in the strongest possible terms. Evidence of this is the fact 
that hundreds of thousands of Americans have signed and mailed 
petitions to the Postal Service requesting a POW/MIA stamp. At the same 
time, the Postal Service has been forced to run paid television 
advertisements to sell their space exploration stamp.

  My point is not that there is anything wrong with space stamps. I am 
one of the strongest supporters of space exploration, and I believe it 
is a perfectly appropriate subject for commemorative stamps. And they 
do have a broad appeal. Everyone loves space exploration. But, my point 
is that, if the Postal Service's main criteria for choosing stamp 
designs is what will sell--as I personally believe it should not be--
but if that is their criteria, they could not pick a stamp with a 
larger popular appeal than the POW/MIA stamp.
  Mr. President, the whole issue of this being a one-time occasion 
brings up an important point. When many people think about POWs and 
MIAs, they think about the Vietnam war. This is understandable. But, 
more recently, the issue took on a special meaning for me when I 
watched Michael Durant, one of my constituents from Berlin, NH, bravely 
standing before the television cameras while he was being held captive 
in Somalia. Mr. Durant was thankfully returned home to his family, and 
I had the honor of attending an event in Berlin paying tribute to Mr. 
Durant. But, not every POW was returned to his family. In fact, as 
television cameras graphically depicted, some were beaten to death and 
dragged through the streets of Mogadishu. Sadly, they will not be 
returned to their families to be honored with celebrations and parties. 
The least we can do is to issue a commemorative stamp which pays 
tribute to their bravery. And we should also be paying tribute to those 
who remain unaccounted for as a result of their military service during 
World War II, the Korean war, and the cold war. There are several 
hundred military personnel from these wars whose fates remain unknown 
to this day. There are even servicemen from the Persian Gulf war whose 
remains have not or cannot be recovered by the United States. We should 
be paying tribute to all of these personnel who made the ultimate 
sacrifice.
  Now, Mr. President, comes the most interesting and pathetic part of 
Mr. Runyon's letter. In light of Mr. Runyon's unyielding reluctance to 
issue a stamp honoring POWs and MIAs, he suggests a compromise. We 
compromise all the time around here, so I was interested to read on and 
hear him out. But, by virtue of the compromise he suggests, which is 
the whole point of his letter, I can come to no conclusion other than 
the fact that he did not even bother to carefully read the letter 
signed by 82 Senators. Mr. Runyon writes as follows:

       In view of these known realities, we would like to 
     recommend for your consideration an alternative to the 
     issuance of another POW/MIA stamp.
       Our suggested option to the POW/MIA commemorative stamp 
     emphasizes the need for a greater national appeal. In doing 
     so, we realize that any relating commemorative events should 
     include not only the efforts of the Postal Service, but that 
     of Congress, State, local and Federal agencies, and POW/MIA 
     organizations. In view of the prospective to both broaden and 
     heighten the emphasis on this issue, we recommend that in 
     1995, Congress establish a national, annual recognition 
     period (day, week, or month) to honor POW/MIAs.

  Until now, I had thought that the Postal Service had been about as 
unresponsive as it could possibly be. This alternative proposal proved 
me wrong. First of all, as my colleagues know, for the past 10 years, 
Congress has passed annual resolutions calling on the President to 
issue proclamations in observance of National POW/MIA Recognition Day. 
I would have hoped that the Postmaster General would have known that, 
particularly in light of the large number of Postal Service employees 
who are veterans. But, he is a busy man, and I guess he cannot be 
responsible for knowing all of these things. The fact that irritates me 
is that it was clearly stated in our original letter that September 16, 
1994, was National POW/MIA Recognition Day. The fifth paragraph of our 
letter states as follows:

       National POW/MIA Recognition Day is scheduled for September 
     16, 1994. We suggest that this would be an excellent target 
     date for the unveiling of the stamp.

  Even if he hadn't read the letter, you would think that, after 14 
weeks, his staff could have done some research about what had been done 
to honor POWs and MIAs. Second, how can Postmaster Runyon acknowledge 
our request for the issuance of a commemorative stamp on September 16, 
and ignore the very reason that request was made. I could say that 
perhaps Mr. Runyon overlooked the part about POW/MIA recognition day, 
but it is inconceivable that that is so. The only place that the 
September 16 date was mentioned in our letter was when we said 
``National POW/MIA recognition day is scheduled for September 16, 
1994.'' It does not appear anywhere else in the letter. Yet, Mr. Runyon 
acknowledges the September 16 date in the very first sentence of his 
letter, and he goes on to offer his brilliant idea, his compromise, to 
use his own words, as an alternative to our stamp request. He does so 
as if it had not even occurred to any of us, and as if he was in some 
special position to offer such a proposal.

  Mr. President, this is no compromise. Furthermore, this is not an 
oversight. As it is impossible to conclude that this was an error, the 
only conclusion I can make is that this is a blow off. Pure and simple. 
Postmaster Runyon does not want a POW/MIA stamp, for whatever reason. 
He ought to just say so. This is an attempt to appease the hundreds of 
thousands of petitioners and the 82 Senators who have have expressed 
their strong desire for a POW/MIA stamp. But, Mr. President, it doesn't 
fly.
  Mr. Ruyon goes on to write:

       In its efforts to make certain that such an annual event 
     receives full attention and recognition, the Postal Service 
     would support the activities initiated by the Veterans 
     Administration or other lead governmental organizations. This 
     could be accomplished by reminding our 700,000 employees of 
     the event through the creation of a generic special 
     cancellation for use at local ceremonies. Additionally, the 
     creation of a cancellation die hub could be used to cancel 
     mail at selected locations.

  These are things that Mr. Runyon could have and should have been 
doing all along. Why did he not remind his 700,000 employees of POW/MIA 
recognition day this year. A resolution was passed by both Houses of 
Congress. The Postal Service has an entire legislative department that 
monitors legislative developments. Someone should have taken notice 
when Congress declared September 16, 1994, to be POW/MIA recognition 
day. If not, Mr. Runyon was made aware of this upcoming recognition day 
when 82 Senators wrote to him. Finally, if he had not noticed any of 
that, President Clinton himself issued a Presidential proclamation 
calling for the observance of POW/MIA recognition day. I ask unanimous 
consent that President Clinton's proclamation be inserted in the Record 
at this point.
  The proclamation follows:

National POW/MIA Recognition Day, 1994--A Proclamation By the President 
                    of the United States of America

       This year marks the 50th anniversary of America's 
     participation in the largest single amphibious assault in 
     history. Considered by many to be a turning point in the 
     Second World War, the D-Day invasion at Normandy serves as a 
     clear reminder of our Nation's long-standing commitment to 
     fight for the principles of democracy and to defeat the 
     forces of oppression.
       We must always remember the dedication and sacrifice of our 
     service men and women who, throughout our history, have 
     risked their lives to preserve freedom for future 
     generations. As a Nation, we are forever indebted to these 
     outstanding Americans for their selfless devotion to duty. In 
     expressing our gratitude, we should also pause to recognize 
     those patriots who were held as prisoners of war and those 
     who remain unaccounted for as a result of their heroic 
     service.
       On September 16, 1994, the flag of the National League of 
     POW/MIA Families, a black and white banner symbolizing 
     America's missing, will be flown over the White House; the 
     Capitol; the U.S. Departments of State, Defense, and Veterans 
     Affairs; the Selective Service System headquarters; the 
     Vietnam Veterans Memorial; and national cemeteries across the 
     country. This flag is a powerful reminder to people 
     everywhere of our country's firm resolve to achieve the 
     fullest possible accounting of every member of the United 
     States Armed Forces.
       On this day, we pay tribute to our missing service members 
     and civilians. In their names, we reaffirm our national 
     commitment to securing the return of all Americans who may be 
     held against their will and to repatriating all recoverable 
     remains of those who died in service to our country. That 
     effort ranks among our highest and most solemn national 
     priorities. America's heroes, and their families and loved 
     ones, deserve no less.
       The Congress, by Senate Joint Resolution 196, has 
     designated September 16, 1994, as ``National POW/MIA 
     Recognition Day'' and has authorized and requested the 
     President to issue a proclamation in observance of this day.
       Now, Therefore, I, William J. Clinton, President of the 
     United States of America, do hereby proclaim September 16, 
     1994, as National POW/MIA Recognition Day. I ask that every 
     American take time to honor all former American POWs, as well 
     as those service members and civilians still unaccounted for 
     as a result of their service to our great Nation. I encourage 
     the American people to recognize the families of these 
     missing Americans for their ongoing dedication to seek the 
     truth and for their determination to persevere through many 
     long years of waiting. Finally, I call upon State and local 
     officials and private organizations to observe this day with 
     appropriate ceremonies and activities.
       In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 
     fourteenth day of September in the year of our Lord nineteen 
     hundred and ninety-four, and of the Independence of the 
     United States of America the two hundred and nineteenth.
                                                  William J. Clinton.  

  Mr. SMITH. My colleagues will note that the President calls on 
``State and local officials and private organizations to observe this 
day with appropriate ceremonies and activities,'' the very same 
suggestions that Mr. Runyon makes in his ``compromise proposal.''
  Mr. Ruyon's concluding paragraph states as follows:

       We strongly believe that an annual recognition event would 
     have more impact and generate more public awareness than 
     issuing another one-time commemorative stamp.

  First of all, it is ludicrous to say that a National Recognition Day 
would generate more public awareness than a commemorative stamp. 
Evidence of this fact is that neither Mr. Runyon or any of his deputies 
who wrote this letter has any idea that there already is a POW/MIA 
Recognition Day, and has been for the past 10 years. Everyone uses 
stamps. I suspect that a first-class POW/MIA stamp--29 cents or 
whatever the going first-class rate is at the time that it is issued--
would be that most popular stamp issued. As popular as Popeye, Marilyn 
Monroe, and Elvis may be, I think that a stamp honoring our American 
POWs and MIA's would have a much broader and more serious appeal. 
Certainly, it would be more in keeping with the traditional role of 
stamps calling attention to outstanding Americans, historic events, and 
national goals.
  Finally, Mr. Runyon states ``With that thought in mind, we would 
appreciate your careful consideration of our proposal.'' Mr. President, 
as the author and sponsor of Senate Joint Resolution 196, designating 
September 16th as National POW/MIA Recognition Day, I can tell you that 
this certainly was not Postmaster Runyon's proposal. Nor, Mr. 
President, do I claim ownership for the proposal. The recognition day 
initiative belongs to the thousands of families of POW's and MIA's. It 
belongs to the millions of veterans and their families and friends. It 
belongs to the POW's and MIA's themselves, many of whom we are still 
trying to account for.
  So, Mr. President, in conclusion, I am not going to consider Mr. 
Runyon's proposal, because it is not a proposal. What he proposes has 
already existed for over a decade. His letter is, therefore, an affront 
to every American who has worked so hard to gather signatures, and to 
push for this simple stamp. More importantly, it is an affront to all 
American prisoners of war, whether they came home or are still missing. 
Issuing a POW/MIA stamp is a simple gesture that Mr. Runyon could do in 
an afternoon. He did it in a heartbeat when he wanted the AIDS stamp. 
He could do it now. What I am going to consider is offering 
legislation, identical to the legislation I offered last year, 
mandating that Postmaster Runyon issue a POW/MIA stamp. It had 65 
cosponsors and passed the senate unanimously as an amendment. I was 
told that it was stripped from the underlying bill by a handful of 
conferees because they did not want to create a precedent for Congress 
to mandate stamps. I was urged to go through the normal channels in 
trying to encourage Mr. Runyon to make this simple gesture.
  But, now, Mr. President, having gone through every nonlegislative 
channel, I have come to the conclusion that Postmaster Runyon simply 
does not want to issue a POW/MIA stamp. Perhaps it is because it is not 
politically correct, like many of the other stamps the Postal Service 
has issue during Mr. Runyon's tenure. Whatever the reason, it is not 
good enough for this Senator, and it is time for Congress and the 
American people to step in.

    CRS Report for Congress--Commemorative Postage Stamps: History, 
           Selection Criteria, and Revenue-Raising Potential

 (By Bernevia M. McCalip, Analyst in Business and Government Relations 
                          Economics Division)


                                summary

       One of the most successful revenue-raising programs, other 
     than the sale of regular postage stamps, operated by the U.S. 
     Postal Service (USPS) is the commemorative stamp program. The 
     technical name for stamp collecting is philately. A major 
     portion of philately involves the printing, buying, selling, 
     and collecting of commemorative stamps. In fiscal year 1991, 
     philatelic sales generated an estimated $191 million in 
     revenues, a 24-percent increase over 1990.
       In fiscal year 1991, the USPS produced 110 new stamps and 
     stationary items in honor of anniversaries, notable people, 
     and special events. According to Postmaster General (PMG) 
     Marvin Runyon, fewer commemorative stamps will be issued in 
     1993 in response to collectors' complaints about the number 
     of new stamps issued and concerns that the current level of 
     commemoratives issued diminishes the value of stamps and 
     drives collectors away.
       To help in the selection of commemorative stamps, the PMG 
     seeks the aid of its Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee. The 
     Committee considers each stamp proposal and advises the PMG 
     on stamp selection and design after which the PMG makes the 
     final selections. The process of selecting commemorative 
     stamps is a complex procedure guided by twelve basic 
     criteria.
       In recent years, the production and quality of 
     commemorative stamps have raised various concerns among 
     policymakers and stamp collectors. These concerns were the 
     primary focus of congressional hearings held in 1991 by the 
     House Post Office and Civil Service Subcommittee on Postal 
     Operations and Services.
       Since 1971, when the Post Office was reorganized, 
     commemorative stamp sales have been viewed as an important 
     and much needed revenue-raising function of the USPS. In the 
     United States, the number of stamp collectors is estimated at 
     15 million, making stamp collecting one of the most popular 
     hobbies in the United States if not in the world. Thus, a 
     ``well-chosen'' stamp design can generate millions of dollars 
     in postal revenues.


                  the usps commemorative postage stamp

       In addition to its regular line of postage stamps, one of 
     the major activities of the USPS is the issuance of 
     commemorative stamps. Since these issues focus on an 
     important event, person, or theme, the selection of subjects 
     and design of these stamps can be both controversial and 
     financially rewarding to the USPS. Consequently, the USPS has 
     developed a structured procedure to deal with the 
     commemorative stamp process and, for economic reasons, to 
     consider the revenue-raising potential through effective 
     marketing.
       The first commemorative postage stamp was issued in 1893 
     commemorating the historic Columbian Exposition. This series 
     of 16 Columbian stamps was among the first postage stamps in 
     the United States to feature pictures of other than portraits 
     of Presidents or other famous people. The success of the 
     Columbian stamp series prompted the Post Office to continue 
     offering stamps to mark historic events and thus,the 
     commemorative stamp became a regular feature of the Postal 
     Service. Later, commemoratives were expanded and now include 
     social issues such as conservation, employment of the 
     handicapped, and higher education.
       Commemorative stamps are printed in limited quantities in 
     specific postage rate denominations and are sold in local 
     post offices for specified periods. When the supply of 
     commemorative issues is no longer available from the Postal 
     Service, the issue is only available through buying, selling, 
     and trading among the estimated 15 million stamp collectors 
     and dealers in the United States.
       The selection of subjects for commemoratives is a difficult 
     and complex task, one which requires the aid and expertise of 
     a Citizen's Stamp Advisory Committee. The Committee, made up 
     of private citizens, reviews all proposals for the Postmaster 
     General. In fiscal year 1991, the Postal Service received 
     over 13,000 letters proposing more than 3,800 stamp 
     issues.\1\ Of the 3,800 stamp suggestions received, 110 stamp 
     and postal stationery items were approved for commemoration 
     and printed for distribution to the public.
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     Footnote at end of article.
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       In recent years, the Postal Service's stamp program has 
     been criticized by collectors for issuing to many 
     commemoratives, as well as producing too many stamps of a 
     particular issue. Concerns are that too many stamps not only 
     diminish the value of the hobby but drive collectors away. 
     Postmaster General (PMG) Marvin Runyon, a former collector 
     himself, has placed new persons in management positions, 
     including those affecting the commemorative stamp program. 
     Consequently, only 63 commemorative stamps are planned in 
     1993, a significant reduction in the number of commemoratives 
     issued in 1992.
       What additional effect the reorganization within the USPS' 
     management level will have on the commemorative stamp program 
     is unclear. Also unclear is how many of the current 
     commemorative stamp functions will be retained by the Postal 
     Service under a restructured program. One popular element 
     of the stamp program is ``first-day ceremonies'' (the day 
     that new stamps are unveiled) to the public. PMG Runyon 
     has publicly announced that first-day ceremonies will 
     continue, although the question as to who will arrange the 
     events has not been addressed to date. Nevertheless, since 
     the Postal Service is now in the midst of a major cost-
     reduction program, the revenue-raising potential of 
     commemoratives could be a factor in deciding future stamp 
     activities. And, although the positions of many Postal 
     headquarters personnel previously assigned to arrange 
     events such as the first-day ceremonies have been 
     eliminated under the management restructuring plan, such 
     authorized events could be managed by postal officials at 
     the local level.


                 THE CITIZEN'S STAMP ADVISORY COMMITTEE

       The Citizen's Stamp Advisory Committee was established in 
     the former U.S. Post Office Department in March 1957 by the 
     Postmaster General to ``provide the Post Office Department 
     philatelic, history, and artistic judgment and experience 
     influencing the subject matter, character, and beauty of 
     postage stamps.'' Carried over into the new USPS in the 1970 
     Postal Reorganization Act (P.L. 91-375), the Committee 
     operates under the powers granted in Title 39 U.S.C., section 
     404(4)(5) and consists of a cross-section of experts in 
     American art, business, history, technology (stamp design), 
     culture, and philately. The members of the Committee serve at 
     the pleasure of the Postmaster General for indefinite 
     periods. The Committee now consists of eleven members, none 
     of whom are postal employees.
       The primary responsibility of these eleven members is to 
     review and appraise all proposals for stamp subjects and to 
     make recommendations for stamp subjects and design to the 
     Postmaster General who has the exclusive and final authority 
     to determine both subject matter and designs for U.S. postage 
     stamps and stationery.\2\ Because the Committee does not 
     operate under a budget and meets about every eight weeks to 
     carry out its statutory responsibilities, a considerable 
     amount of research and work is required prior to a Committee 
     meeting. To speed up the Committee's task, research employees 
     of the USPS' Stamp Management Office receive and analyze all 
     stamp subjects upon initial receipt. Subcommittees are formed 
     among researchers by special theme such as sports, medicine, 
     transportation, Black heritage, and performing arts to 
     provide additional background and research if it becomes 
     necessary. Occasionally, commemorative ideas require 
     additional research into the subject to further ``explore the 
     idea's merit or to come up with a strong visual angle.''\3\ 
     All supporting materials are then presented to the Committee 
     along with the suggestions.


              criteria for selecting commemorative stamps

       As a basis for its recommendation to the Postmaster 
     General, the Citizen's Stamp Advisory Committee has outlined 
     twelve standards for considering suggested commemorative 
     stamp subjects.
       1. It is a general policy that U.S. postage stamps and 
     stationery primarily will feature American or American-
     related subjects.
       2. No living person shall be honored by portrayal on U.S. 
     postage.
       3. Commemorative stamps or postal stationery items honoring 
     individuals usually will be issued on, or in conjunction 
     with, significant anniversaries of their birth, but no postal 
     item will be issued sooner than 10 years after the 
     individual's death. The only exception to the 10-year rule is 
     the issuance of stamps honoring deceased U.S. Presidents. 
     They may be honored with a memorial stamp on the first birth 
     anniversary following death.
       4. Events of historical significance shall be considered 
     for commemoration only on anniversaries in multiples of 50 
     years.
       5. Only events and themes of widespread national appeal and 
     significance will be considered for commemoration. Events or 
     themes of local or regional significance may be recognized by 
     a philatelic or special postal cancellation,\4\ which may be 
     arranged through the local postmaster.
       6. Stamps or postal stationery items shall not be issued to 
     honor fraternal, political, sectarian, service or charitable 
     organizations which exist primarily to solicit and/or 
     distribute funds, commercial enterprises; or a specific 
     product.
       7. Stamps or postal stationery items shall not be issued to 
     honor cities, towns, municipalities, counties, primary or 
     secondary schools, hospitals, libraries or similar 
     institutions. Due to the limitations placed on annual postal 
     programs and the vast number of such locales, organizations 
     and institutions, it would be difficult to single out any one 
     for commemoration.
       8. Request for observance of statehood anniversaries will 
     be considered for commemorative postage stamps only at 
     intervals of 50 years from the date of the State's first 
     entry into the Union. Requests for observance of other State-
     related or regional anniversaries will be considered only as 
     subjects for postal stationery, and only at intervals of 50 
     years from the date of the event.
       9. Stamps or postal stationery items shall not be issued to 
     honor religious institutions or individuals whose principal 
     achievements are associated with religious undertakings or 
     beliefs.
       10. Stamps or postal stationery items with added values 
     referred to as ``semi-postals,'' shall not be issued.\5\ Due 
     to the vast number of worthy fund-raising organizations in 
     existence, it would be difficult to single out specific 
     organizations to receive such revenue. There also is a strong 
     U.S. tradition for private fund-raising for charities, and 
     the administrative costs involved in accounting for sales 
     would tend to negate the revenues derived.
       11. Requests for commemoration of significant anniversaries 
     of universities or other institutions of higher education 
     shall be considered only in regard to Historic Preservation 
     Series postal cards featuring an appropriate building on the 
     campus.
       12. No stamp shall be considered for issuance if one 
     treating the same subject has been issued in the past 10 
     years. The only exceptions to this rule will be those stamps 
     issued in recognition of traditional themes such as 
     Christmas, U.S. Flag, Express Mail, Love, etc.
       The USPS encourages the submission of subjects for 
     commemorative postage stamps to the Committee at least three 
     years prior to the proposed date of issuance to allow 
     sufficient time for consideration, design, and production. 
     Suggestions may be addressed to the Citizen's Stamp Advisory 
     Committee, 475 L'Enfant Plaza, Room 4474E, Washington, D.C. 
     20260-6756.

      Congressional involvement in the commemorative stamp process

       In the selection and design of commemorative stamps, only 
     the Postmaster General has the statutory authority to approve 
     and issue such stamps. However, Members of Congress are 
     generally requested by their constituency to support a 
     particular commemorative theme or event. In doing so, a 
     Member may choose to write the Postmaster General expressing 
     support for a particular stamp proposal. In some cases, 
     Members have introduced a House Resolution calling for the 
     issuance or non-issuance of a stamp to commemorate a specific 
     proposal. In the 102d Congress, nine such resolutions were 
     introduced addressing the issue of commemorative stamps.


                       REVENUE RAISING POTENTIAL

       Since operation of the Postal Service in 1971, the 
     selection of commemorative stamps has been viewed as an 
     important and necessary revenue-raising function. A ``well-
     chosen'' stamp design can generate millions of dollars in 
     postal revenues. Consequently, a keen marketing strategy is 
     also included as part of the commemorative stamp process.
       Estimating revenues generated from the sale of 
     commemorative related products is difficult, mainly because 
     commemorative sales are not counted separately from the sale 
     of other stamps and stamp products. Therefore, the Postal 
     Service cannot accurately determine which stamps or products 
     are actually used as postage and which are held by purchasers 
     and not redistributed through the mail stream.
       However, the Postal Service, in an attempt to gain some 
     knowledge of how successful its commemorative program is, 
     conducts annual surveys. The USPS' records show that the 
     commemorative postage stamp program, other than the sale of 
     regular postage stamps, is one of the most successful 
     revenue-raising activities of the U.S. Postal Service. 
     Although only a small proportion of the USPS' total revenue 
     (less than one-half of one percent), the USPS estimated that 
     $191 million was generated from the sale of commemorative 
     stamps and postal stationery in fiscal year 1991. The Postal 
     Service, in its 1991 Comprehensive Statement on Postal 
     Operations (p. 52), noted that the Postal Service stamp 
     program continues to generate the interest and enthusiasm of 
     stamp collectors and the public.
       Over the past several years, the USPS' commemorative sales 
     marketing strategy has changed and at times has generated 
     controversy. Until recent years, stamps celebrating historic 
     Americans and events were the mainstay of the commemorative 
     stamp program. According to Postmaster Runyon, while stamps 
     honoring or featuring historic Americans or events are 
     historically important, they have relatively little revenue 
     potential. While stamps commemorating flowers, sport horses, 
     entertainers (e.g., Elvis Presley) etc., generate some degree 
     of controversy, the USPS has determined that the sale of such 
     stamps have a greater revenue-raising potential. While it is 
     expected that stamps commemorating historic Americans or 
     events will not be significantly cut, stamp collectors and 
     the public can expect much less of the old and much more of 
     the ``big attention-getters'' such as the Elvis Presley 
     stamp.\6\


                               footnotes

     \1\There are rare occasions when the Postmaster General may 
     select a commemorative stamp absent the Stamp Advisory 
     Committee's recommendation.
     \2\Three items of postal stationery are popular with 
     collectors: embossed stamped envelopes, postal cards, and 
     aerogrammes.
     \3\Birth of a Stamp is a Sticky Issue. Insight, July 4, 1988. 
     p. 61.
     \4\Special postal cancellation is a phrase to commemorate a 
     local event used by the Postal Service to cancel stamps.
     \5\Semi-postals are stamps with a surcharge over and above 
     the usual postage rate, with the extra revenue earmarked for 
     a designated charity or government program.
     \6\Stamp Trail to Oregon, Washington Post, Weekend, November 
     27, 1992. p. 78.

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