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Floor Speech

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Mr. PETERS. Madam President, last night, the Senate came together for the American people and overwhelmingly voted to move forward on historic, bipartisan, bicameral, and long-overdue reforms that will help ensure the stability and the long-term success of the U.S. Postal Service.

The Postal Service is one of our Nation's oldest and most trusted institutions. It serves as a critical lifeline for millions of Americans, including seniors and veterans in rural communities who expect the Postal Service to deliver vital mail, including supplies and medications.

However, for more than 15 years, this public service and its dedicated workers have been hindered by burdensome financial requirements. The need to quickly pass these balanced reforms, which are broadly supported by the American people, has become increasingly urgent.

One persistent burden has been a requirement to prefund every single cent of healthcare benefits that every single postal worker employee will use when they eventually retire, no matter how far off that may be. This is something that no business in America is required to do, and for good reason. It makes no practical sense, and it has imposed an enormous cost on the Postal Service that has threatened their ability to provide reliable and timely delivery.

In recent years, we have seen firsthand how burdensome policies have driven the Postal Service to resort to harsh measures to cut costs and, as a result, compromise delivery service. We must act now to set this critical institution on a sustainable financial footing by passing the Postal Service Reform Act.

This bipartisan, commonsense legislation will save the Postal Service more than $49 billion in the next 10 years by eliminating the aggressive prefunding requirement for retiree health benefits and by integrating postal retirees' healthcare with Medicare.

These changes will help ensure the Postal Service, which is self- sustaining and does not receive taxpayer funding, can continue serving the people and avoid making severe cuts down the line that would impact millions of Americans. These reforms will also require the Postal Service to deliver 6 days a week so it can continue serving as a critical lifeline for countless communities that need timely delivery of their essential needs.

This legislation will also make the Postal Service more transparent and accountable to the American people by making weekly local performance data publicly available online, enabling every single community to see exactly how the Postal Service is performing in their area.

I introduced this legislation in the Senate last year and have worked hand in hand with Ranking Member Rob Portman from Ohio, as well as Chairwoman Maloney and Ranking Member Comer on the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, to craft this bill.

Last month, the House passed this legislation with overwhelming bipartisan support. Last night, we saw this body advance it with significant bipartisan support once again. Now the Senate has a historic opportunity to move this legislation forward.

I am proud to have helped secure significant bipartisan support for our Senate companion bill, with a total of 14 Democratic and 14 Republican cosponsors backing the legislation.

Together, we can finally, after more than 15 years, pass this commonsense, bipartisan legislation to set the Postal Service on a stable financial foot and bring it into the future. We can support our dedicated and hard-working postal employees, as well as the customers whom they serve. We can set the Postal Service up for success so that families and small businesses, veterans, seniors, and all Americans can continue to rely on this critical public service, as they have for generations. We can show the American people this body can set aside partisanship and work hand in hand to improve their lives.

Every single day that we delay will just hurt the Postal Service. We must pass these urgently needed reforms. I urge all of my colleagues to support this legislation and pass it swiftly so that we can ensure the long-term success of this treasured institution and the essential role it plays in the lives of every single American.

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