The United States Postal Service

THE UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE -- (House of Representatives - December 06, 2007)

(Mr. COHEN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute.)

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, the United States Postal Service, and I use that term because that's their formal name, has announced that they're going to stop using, having vending machines at the post office. That means that Americans will not be able to go to the post office when they need to get a stamp this holiday season, tax time or whatever, and realize they need stamps and be able to go to the postal service to buy a stamp. It seems the U.S. Postal Service is taking service out of their name.

Older people can't just very easily decide to learn how to use the Internet or have an Internet and poor people don't either. The postal service says people can buy stamps online. They can call an 800 number. They can buy them by mail. But if you need something for an immediate postage, if you don't have the Internet, if you're old, and it's difficult to stand in line because you're handicapped or disabled, this is a great disservice to America.

They say the machines aren't working. Well, Federal Express wouldn't do something like this. They'd improve the machines or find a new machine. And if the machines didn't work at Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola would buy new machines.

The United States Postal Service should be for service and for the customer and maintain the vending machines. I'm preparing legislation, and I'll be sending a Dear Colleague out, Mr. Speaker, and hope all will join us in putting service back in the USPS.

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