[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 155 (Friday, October 23, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2626]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  RECOGNIZING NEW YORK CITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION NO. 2166 IN SUPPORT OF 
                            H.R. 22 AND 658

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 23, 2009

  Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the Council of 
the city of New York's Resolution No. 2166, calling upon the U.S. House 
to pass H.R. 658--the Access to Postal Services Act. Thanks to our work 
in Congress, H.R. 22--the U.S. Postal Service Financial Relief Act, has 
passed the House and similar legislation has cleared the Senate. This 
great legislation assists the U.S. Postal Service with financial 
expenses and stops the unnecessary closure of neighborhood post 
offices, increasing community input as the Postal Service reorganizes 
its branches throughout the city of New York.
  If we do not follow-up with the speedy passage of H.R. 658, the 
Postal Service will be forced to close over 700 locations throughout 
the United States, including 53 locations in New York city alone. In 
addition to the borough of Queens, Manhattan will be adversely affected 
with the closure of 25 locations, which includes my Harlem community.
  In my own district, the Tejeda Post Office was almost a victim to 
these closures. The well-regarded institution was named after a member 
of the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment who was killed during combat 
operations in Baghdad, Iraq on April 11, 2003. He died at the tender 
age of 26. But thanks to the help of people like District Leader Maria 
Luna, City Councilman Robert Jackson and Assemblyman Denny Farrell and 
Adriano Espaillat, as well as Councilmember-Elect Ydanis Rodriguez, 
Community Board 12, and the Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation, 
a grassroots coalition came together and demanded that it remain open.
  We ought to work to make sure that nothing of the sort happens in 
communities across this great nation. Both these bills will assist 
people in staying connected with the world, while not hoisting greater 
financial burdens on New Yorkers or other Americans who rely on these 
nearby post offices. Senior citizens and low-income Americans would be 
most vulnerable to these shutdowns, and as Americans, we ought to look 
after the most vulnerable in our society. May the Congress work as 
quickly as it can to alleviate this problem and ensure that these post 
offices remain open.

                          ____________________