[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 24 (Wednesday, February 5, 2020)]
[House]
[Page H839]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1830
              SUPPORT OF U.S. POSTAL SERVICE FAIRNESS ACT

  (Ms. KAPTUR asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2382, or 
the U.S. Postal Service Fairness Act up for a vote today.
  Madam Speaker, 13 years ago, the Postal Service was saddled by this 
body when we required it--not with my support--to prefund its 
retirement benefits. Unfortunately, this prevented the Postal Service 
from addressing critical equipment modernization needs. Thankfully, 
this legislation allows us to correct this misguided requirement.
  The post office is a constitutionally mandated institution. A sense 
of community is sustained every time the mailwoman or mailman delivers 
a letter, increasing connectivity in rural and urban districts alike. 
The Postal Service delivers close to 190 million pieces of mail every 
single day and is a testament to American ingenuity. Indeed, postal 
workers are the best ambassadors, receiving an overwhelmingly high 
public approval rating of 74 percent.
  While we work to ensure the post office's financial health, we must 
also continue to increase innovation, such as through modernizing 
postal services. For example, creative initiatives could increase 
access to basic functions in post offices and underserved communities.
  I thank my friend, Representative Peter DeFazio, for his true 
leadership on this bill, and urge all my colleagues to support its 
passage, and thank those who did.

                          ____________________