[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 50 (Tuesday, March 27, 2012)]
[House]
[Page H1583]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                POSTAL SERVICE FACILITY CLOSURE PROCESS

  (Mr. HIGGINS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. HIGGINS. Madam Speaker, I rise to express my deep concerns about 
the postal service's facility closure process.
  Testimony at a recent Postal Regulatory Commission hearing brought to 
light details of a study kept secret because it projected billions of 
dollars in losses, despite facility closures. It also revealed mail 
volume would take a huge hit due to service standard changes.
  Yet the postal service has no plans to change its course, further 
proof that the postal service is operating under an ill-conceived 
``decide now, justify later'' strategy.
  The Buffalo Mail Processing Facility recently developed a training 
session for postal employees that is now the template for a national 
model. Surprisingly, this facility is scheduled for closing. It doesn't 
make any sense.
  My colleague Gerry Connolly is asking the postal service to release 
the full results from the study, and I agree. We should not--and 
cannot--stand by and watch these facilities close without taking all 
facts into account.

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