[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 13]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 18232]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      TRIBUTE TO POSTAL EMPLOYEES

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. TIMOTHY V. JOHNSON

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 27, 2005

  Mr. JOHNSON of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to 
the hardworking postal employees around the country and especially in 
my district. In the wake of passing the first postal reform bill in 
three and a half decades, I believe it is only appropriate to 
acknowledge the hard work and tireless effort of postal employees.
  The Postal Service has been around since 1775. It has come a long way 
since the days of the Pony Express and steamboats and despite the fact 
that e-mail and online bill paying are becoming increasingly popular, 
the United States Postal Service remains more vital than ever.
  I stand here today to deliver a heartfelt thank you to the men and 
women of the United States Postal Service. I think sometimes we take 
their efforts for granted. Their work is not only stressful at times, 
but it is their efforts in keeping all of our correspondence flowing 
smoothly that provides the glue that hold our communities together. The 
closing of a Post Office can be devastating to a small rural community, 
so I understand the importance of the preservation of this service. I 
feel strongly that my colleagues and I did a good thing last night when 
we passed the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act.
  I urge all of my colleagues as well as every American to take the 
time out of the day and thank their local letter carrier or postmaster 
the next time they see them. In closing, I would like to thank all of 
the postal employees in the 15th district for their part in 
strengthening our communities. Their efforts are sincerely appreciated.

                          ____________________