Opposing the Point of Order Regarding the Mail-Delivery Standards in H.R. 5485

Floor Speech

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Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I would like to clarify the meaning of the Point of Order.

First, it means that the amendment the Appropriations Committee added to the bill, requiring the Postal Service to maintain highest quality delivery standards, is nullified. This amendment was passed for FY 2017 without objection in our Committee and it was included in last year's bill and was passed as well. It stands as a strong measure of support for the US Postal Service in both rural and urban America. Those that neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays them from the swift completion of their appointed rounds--deserve our respect. It is our Constitutional responsibility in Article 1.

Second, the Chaffetz point of order will actually cost our citizenry more money by in fact $66M due to the added transportation costs that results from drastically slowing down the processing and delivery of the nation's mail.

The timely processing and delivery of mail is critical. The Postal Service delivers 154 billion pieces of mail annually to 155 million delivery points, accounting for 47 percent of the world's mail. This equals over 2,000 percent more than the total business for UPS or FedEx.

Third, Mr. Speaker, it would not have been unusual or extraordinary for the Rules Committee to have protected from a point of order the mail delivery standards added to this bill.

The Rules Committee actually voted to waive points of order on over 30 partisan riders included in this bill, thereby protecting from removal controversial, legislative provisions impacting the SEC, IRS, CFPB, FCC, and District of Columbia.

Finally, further the Ranking Member for the Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government (Mr. Serrano) has made it clear that the mail-delivery standards are off budget and do not impact scoring.

The future of our public Postal Service is threatened by delayed mail. Delayed mail harms small businesses, rural America, and our economy in general.

Representatives are hearing from their constituents that mail service has fallen off a cliff with late mail. In fact, a bipartisan majority (235 Republicans and Democrats) has cosponsored H.Res 54, calling upon the Postal Service to take all appropriate measures to restore service standards.

The mail service standard language imposes no legislative mandate of specified action on the part of the Postal Service--let me repeat--no legislative mandate of specified action on the part of the Postal Service. The mail service standard language is direction from the House Appropriations Committee to the Postal Service that they must correct an administrative and operational situation that actually costs more money, and which undermines prompt reliable and efficient service to all Americans.

When it comes to ensuring the timely delivery of mail for the American people and businesses, Congress holds the ultimate responsibility over postal operations. And now that the Postal Service is being wed to a plan that reduces service standards and slows down America's mail, it is crucial for Congress to exercise this authority.

Therefore, Mr. Speaker, I would hope that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle would reconsider their point of order. Let us do everything in our power to protect the mail delivery standards provision that the Appropriations Committee with bipartisan support added to this bill.

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