[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 29 (Thursday, February 14, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E180]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      USPS INTERPRETATION OF RSIA

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. DON YOUNG

                               of alaska

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, February 14, 2019

  Mr. YOUNG. Madam Speaker, it was my pleasure as Dean of the House of 
Representatives to swear you in at the beginning of this Congressional 
Session. I pledge to work with you on all matters affecting our Nation 
and my home State of Alaska.
  I want to bring to the attention of my colleagues, and the United 
States Postal Service (USPS), which receives a certain level of federal 
funding for forgone revenue due to free and reduced rate mail under the 
Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) Title of the 
appropriations package, an issue that is critical to safe and stable 
passenger air service in Alaska.
  Alaska is unique in comparison to other States within our Union in 
that we have special mail service to provide roughly the equivalent of 
universal postal service, on par with the rest of the country, to 
remote Alaskan communities throughout my State which are not connected 
to the U.S. road system. By way of aviation, vital ``bypass'' mail 
service is provided via air carriers to towns and villages all over 
Alaska. This service is critical to the State of Alaska and to my 
constituents. USPS has jurisdiction over this program and, from time to 
time, has implemented its interpretations that diverge from 
Congressional intent of the Rural Services Improvement Act (RSIA)--a 
law that I helped develop with my former Senate colleague Ted Stevens, 
and which governs the USPS mail-delivery system for Alaska.
  The intent of RSIA is very similar to the intent of the USPS funding 
included in the Financial Services appropriations bill--to ensure that 
rural postal delivery is maintained at prior year levels and to prevent 
the closure of important rural post offices.
  There is only one airline in Alaska that now delivers mail and 
passengers ``from the first to the last mile'' to the far reaches of 
the State--to Native communities, to communities on the Aleutian chain, 
and the northern-most towns and villages in the State. This airline, 
Ravn Air, has been disadvantaged by the USPS's interpretation of RSIA 
that does not grant the air carrier the status as an ``existing 
mainline carrier'' under the statute. This status will help further 
ensure that viable passenger service and mail delivery is maintained 
throughout the State.
  From time to time, it is fair and appropriate for USPS to objectively 
reevaluate its interpretation of RSIA to provide an updated application 
of the law and to consider Ravn for this status.
  I intend to follow up with USPS and its new Commissioners regarding 
this request. The entire Alaska Congressional Delegation has previously 
written USPS on this matter and I will continue to reach out to my 
Senate Colleagues for review of this with USPS in light of changes 
within USPS itself, and changes in the airline industry and marketplace 
in Alaska.
  I thank my colleagues and with that I will vote for passage of the 
Financial Services bill as part of the final FY '19 Appropriations 
package.

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