[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 158 (Tuesday, November 4, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2223-E2224]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       INTRODUCTION OF THE POST OFFICE COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. EARL BLUMENAUER

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 4, 2003

  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, one reason I came to Congress is to make 
the federal government be a better partner to communities. One of the 
simplest ways to achieve that objective does not require new rules or 
regulations for local or state governments, and it does not require 
massive outlays of our budget driving us even deeper into deficit. The 
simplest answer is for the federal government to follow the same rules 
that all others must follow.
  To this end, I am reintroducing the Post Office Community Partnership 
Act. This bill outlines minimum community contact procedures that the 
United States Postal Service must pursue for any proposed closing, 
consolidation, relocation, or construction of a post office. Simply 
put, the bill requires the Postal Service to comply with local zoning, 
planning, or other land use laws.
  This legislation has had the bipartisan support of the majority of 
the House of Representatives. Once, it even passed the Senate only to 
become the victim of the politics of postal reform. In recent sessions 
there have been efforts at more comprehensive legislation that all 
include some variation of this bill as an enticement for passage. The 
pressure from our legislation has in fact encouraged some within the 
Postal Service to make significant progress. I've met with members of 
the Board of Governors of the U.S. Postal Service, the Postal Rate 
Commissioners, and the National League of Postmasters, and they have 
made progress. There are outstanding examples of where they have worked 
with the local community to make the post office an integral part of a 
downtown or main street.
  It is time, however, to make this relationship something that every 
community can count on.

[[Page E2224]]

It is time to make this relationship part of the Postal Service's 
regular activities. It should not be an exception, it should not 
require luck or extraordinary political action, and there should be no 
variation in the commitment to providing the finest examples of being a 
part of each and every community.
  There has been a recent report from the President's Commission on the 
United States Postal Service that is going to prompt more discussion 
and analysis of postal operations. Now is the time to act on this key 
element that is the most important single item that this Congress can 
do to guarantee the Postal Service is a better partner. Congress has 
the opportunity to set the tone for the Postal Service and federal 
government to become a full partner in the livability of our 
communities, leading by example so our families are safer, healthier, 
and more economically secure.

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