Providing for Consideration of H.R. Postal Service Reform Act of Providing for Consideration of H.R. Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, and for Other Purposes

Floor Speech

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Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from the Rules Committee for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, for as long as our country has existed, the United States Postal Service has played a critical role in the function of our country.

Whether delivering news or bills, medicine or ballots, income tax refunds or in a few days maybe Valentines, Americans--our small businesses and our State, national, and local governments--rely on the post office and the essential daily services it provides.

The famous motto of the Postal Service is: ``Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.''

How glad we have been to see them completing those rounds during a pandemic which limited our ability to get goods and services from other places and which limited our ability in some cases to get to the polling places.

While the U.S. Postal Service has always been essential, in the last 2 years it has been even more so, as it has helped us all to navigate a highly transmissible virus.

Unfortunately, during that same time, we have seen the Postal Service struggle to navigate a series of highly disruptive policy changes that slowed service and financial constraints that have threatened its long- term health. Over the past 2 years I have heard from hundreds of constituents about problems with the Postal Service, all asking: What is Congress going to do about it?

This week, I am proud to support the Postal Service Reform Act, a bipartisan bill that will improve the performance of the U.S. Postal Service and guarantee its long-term financial health.

This bill will guarantee the Postal Service's 6-day delivery standard, improve customer support, and provide customers with increased transparency about their local service performance. Most notably, the Postal Service Reform Act will finally end the--unique to the Postal Service--statutory requirement that it prefund retiree health benefits, relieving the Postal Service of this onerous and unnecessary burden that has jeopardized the service's finances since it was enacted 15 years ago.

These reforms which have been endorsed by the postal unions are estimated to save the Postal Service nearly $50 billion over the next 10 years.

The U.S. Postal Service is one of the oldest, core responsibilities of the Federal Government, and so I look forward to enthusiastically voting for this bill to ensure its continued success in the 21st century.

In addition, Mr. Speaker, today's rule also provides for consideration of another continuing resolution to fund the government. The House did its job. We passed our funding bills on time, and Chairwoman DeLauro has pushed her Senate counterparts to begin negotiations early so that a funding deal could be passed on time. However, Senate Republicans have hemmed and hawed and stalled to avoid negotiations because they prefer a CR to finding bipartisan compromise. We are nearly halfway through the current fiscal year. I regret the necessity of another CR, but I look forward to a quick resolution and a vote on an omnibus funding bill.

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