[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 104 (Wednesday, July 27, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1648]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               POSTAL ACCOUNTABILITY AND ENHANCEMENT ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. CHRISTOPHER SHAYS

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 26, 2005

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 22) to 
     reform the postal laws of the United States:

  Mr. SHAYS. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of H.R. 22, the Postal 
Accountability and Enhancement Act.
  The Government Reform Committee, of which I am vice-chairman, has 
held hearings and briefings on postal reform for several years now, and 
I am glad to see our efforts come to fruition today.
  The United States Postal Service has been forced to cut back on its 
service due to serious financial challenges. H.R. 22 is an effort to 
modernize our Nation's postal laws for the first time in 35 years. It 
is intended to help ensure the United States Postal Service can survive 
in an increasingly competitive marketplace.
  Due to the increasing use of electronic forms of communication, such 
as email, first-class mail volume is declining, but postal addresses 
are increasing. In lieu of simply increasing rates, an entire reform of 
the postal service is necessary.
  H.R. 22 would require the Postal Service to operate in a more 
business-like manner by creating a modem system of rate regulation, 
establishing fair competition rules and a more powerful regulatory 
commission.
  H.R. 22 will also promote both price stability and pricing 
flexibility. Giving the Postal Service pricing flexibility will allow 
USPS to price its core mail products in a way that keeps them 
competitive and, quite literally, in the mail. By limiting the amount 
of future postage rate increases, however, the bill also takes an 
important step towards encouraging the Postal Service to increase mail 
volume and keep the mailbags full while giving mailers predictability 
and stability.
  Universal postal service should be the first and foremost goal of 
reform. This can only be accomplished if the financial and operational 
crisis facing the United States Postal Service is met with innovative 
and bold action.

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