[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 65 (Wednesday, May 9, 2012)]
[House]
[Page H2456]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                LIFTING OF MORATORIUM ON POSTAL CLOSURES

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Alabama (Ms. Sewell) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. SEWELL. I rise today in support of America's postal workers, 
small businesses, senior citizens, and rural communities across this 
Nation. I stand before this Chamber gravely concerned about the future 
of the United States Postal Service and the impact of its fiscal crisis 
on communities across America.
  The Postal Service is an iconic American institution woven into the 
fabric of our everyday lives. For more than 200 years, the men and 
women of the United States Postal Service have fulfilled their mission 
to deliver universal, trusted, timely, and effective service to the 
American people. Americans depend on the postal service, rain or shine, 
six days a week, from Montana to Alabama, from New York to California, 
from Florida to Alaska. Whether it's overnight, flat rate, first class, 
the United States Postal Service delivers.
  Today, the Postal Service is teetering on the brink of insolvency and 
its future remains uncertain. Significant declines in first-class mail 
volume, evolving consumer trends, and increasing expenditures and 
operating costs mean that the Postal Service must reduce its footprint, 
reorganize, and take drastic measures to remain viable and competitive 
in the 21st century.
  On May 15, the moratorium on postal closure will be lifted and 
thousands of post offices and mail processing facilities across this 
country will be targeted for closure. If Congress does not act, the 
lifting of this moratorium could mark the beginning of a slow and 
painful process of downsizing, layoffs, and reorganization for the U.S. 
Postal Service. We must take swift and decisive action to create a more 
efficient business model for the United States Postal Service. I 
believe that an investment in the future of the Postal Service is an 
investment in our economy, in small businesses, and in the American 
people. It requires our prompt attention and deserves our immediate 
action.
  So much is at stake in this debate over postal reform. We know that 
reform is necessary, given the current market reality. But we cannot 
reform the postal service on the backs of the rural and underserved 
communities throughout this country. For so many of these communities, 
the post office is the meeting place--the place where you send your 
packages and receive your medicine.
  The lifting of the moratorium on May 15 is an issue of utmost concern 
to the constituents that I represent in Alabama. In towns like Oak 
Hill, Magnolia, and Sawyerville, Alabama, the local post office is much 
more than a place for sending and receiving mail. Post offices are 
vital lifelines for these rural, isolated communities. These lifelines 
must be preserved and protected. I am committed to ensuring that we as 
Americans have access to affordable, reliable, and efficient postal 
service.
  Consider the ripple effect and the economic impact of the closure of 
a post office and how that may affect an entire community. Imagine 
small town America, where the local post office lies at the heart of 
the community and is an integral part of its history and identity. This 
is the case in many of the communities across my district. The fact is, 
the closure of postal offices will devastate small towns like 
Gainesville, Coy, and Myrtlewood, Alabama, and so many across this 
Nation.
  Yes, we must all buckle up. We must all decide to show fiscal 
responsibility. And in these market conditions, we know that reductions 
are necessary. But surely we can do something to make sure that these 
reductions are not on the backs of the rural, underserved, and 
underprivileged communities. Many of the postal services that are being 
offered are irreplaceable in these communities. For seniors who can't 
leave their homes, mail carriers deliver lifesaving medication. And for 
small businesses, postal services like bulk and flat-rate mail enable 
them to grow and create jobs.
  The United States Postal Service provides Americans with universal 
and invaluable service, and I urge my colleagues to come together and 
pass a bipartisan comprehensive plan for the future of the United 
States Postal Service that will not disproportionately affect 
underserved communities.

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