[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 61 (Thursday, May 14, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S4911]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. COCHRAN:
  S. 2082. A bill to amend chapter 36 of title 39, United States Code, 
to provide authority to fix rates and fees for domestic and 
international postal services, and for other purposes; to the Committee 
on Governmental Affairs.


             the International Postal Services Act of 1998

  Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, today I am introducing the International 
Postal Services Act of 1998. This bill would amend section 3621 of 
title 39 of the U.S. Code, dealing with the authority of the Board of 
Governors of the U.S. Postal Service to establish rates and classes of 
postal services, by subjecting international postal services to review 
by the Postal Rate Commission.
  At present, the Board of Governors' and Postal Rate Commission's 
authority to collect and review Postal Service data on costs, volumes, 
and revenues extends only to domestic mail. Therefore, the regulators 
and Congress, and the public, cannot require data to support statements 
by the Postal Service that international mail is covering its 
attributable costs.
  Allegations have been made that the Postal Service uses its revenues 
from first class mail to subsidize its international postal services. 
The Postal Service denies this, and reminds its competitors that the 
Postal Reorganization Act prohibits the Postal Service from using the 
revenues from one service to reduce the price of another.
  When Congress drafted, and later passed, the postal Reorganization 
Act of 1970, no specific language was included that would grant the 
Postal Rate Commission jurisdiction over international postal 
services--as it was granted for all domestic postal services. I believe 
this was an oversight by Congress, and I believe it would be best if, 
for the purposes of establishing classes and rates for mail, 
international postal services were to be treated the same as domestic 
postal services are treated.
  I invite Senators to consider this proposal and support this effort 
to bring harmony to the treatment of international and domestic postal 
services.
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