[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 75 (Tuesday, May 6, 2025)]
[House]
[Page H1858]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE IS NOT JUST A CONVENIENCE

  (Ms. McBride of Delaware was recognized to address the House for 5 
minutes.)
  Ms. McBRIDE. Mr. Speaker, the United States Postal Service isn't just 
a convenience. It is a constitutional promise.
  For more than two centuries, the USPS has connected every corner of 
this country, delivering prescriptions to seniors, paychecks to 
workers, and ballots to voters. They do all of this without taxpayer 
funding because it was never built for profit but for the public good.
  Today, that promise is under threat. This administration's effort to 
privatize the Postal Service would mean higher costs, slower service, 
and the elimination of rural delivery because corporations won't serve 
what isn't profitable. It will also mean the loss of strong, middle-
class jobs for over 640,000 postal workers across the country, 
including nearly 74,000 U.S. veterans. In Delaware alone, nearly 1,000 
of my neighbors would be at risk.
  This isn't about efficiency. This is about dismantling public 
services so that Republicans can prove that government doesn't work and 
then hand those services to the highest bidder.
  We should be strengthening the Postal Service, not selling it off, 
because some things should serve people, not profit.


             Addressing Shortage of Air Traffic Controllers

  Ms. McBRIDE. Mr. Speaker, this week's travel delays and cancelations 
are frustrating millions, but behind the headlines is a deeper issue: a 
national shortage of air traffic controllers, pushing a vital workforce 
to the brink.
  I recently toured the Philadelphia International Airport and met 
directly with controllers managing the skies above Delaware. They are 
working 10-hour days, 6 days a week, making split-second decisions to 
monitor thousands of lives at once. The pressure is relentless, and the 
margin for mistakes is zero.
  On top of all of this stress, this administration and Republicans in 
Congress are trying to gut their retirement security. Air traffic 
controllers are mandated to retire at 56. Yet, this administration and 
House Republicans are advancing a proposal to shrink the retirement 
benefits for Federal employees who are retiring before 62, all to help 
pay for tax cuts for the wealthy. We cannot expect to solve for 
shortages by breaking our promises to air traffic controllers after a 
lifetime of work.

  The problems we are hearing about at Newark could be a nationwide 
problem if the majority in Congress continues to disrespect and deplete 
this vital workforce.


        Congratulating Students of Charter School of Wilmington

  Ms. McBRIDE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to celebrate an extraordinary 
achievement by students from the Charter School of Wilmington, who were 
just named national winners of Samsung's Solve for Tomorrow STEM 
competition.
  These brilliant students, who I met with last week, tackled 
Delaware's physician shortage with an innovative solution: an AI-
powered smart bandage that monitors wound healing in real time.
  Their project, called AKQUA-Gel, rose to the top from thousands of 
entries nationwide, earning their school a $100,000 prize package and a 
national title.
  This isn't just a win for Delaware. It is a powerful reminder of what 
young people can achieve when we invest in education, in STEM, and in 
their belief that they can solve big problems in their communities.
  While I am a proud graduate of Cab Calloway, I couldn't help but come 
to the well of the House to congratulate the Charter School of 
Wilmington. They have made Delaware proud and inspired us all.

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