Postal Reform

Floor Speech

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, there is no question the Postal Service faces serious challenges, and it needs to work with Congress and the American people to address them.

There are some who say that the Postal Service can cut its way out of its financial hole.

The plan put forth by the Postmaster General would do just that. It would have a heavy impact on my State, with at least 8 processing facility closures and perhaps more than 250 post office closures. Under that plan, mail from Springfield--the State capital--would be shipped all the way to St. Louis, just to come back to Springfield once again.

And these facilities are key hubs of commerce throughout the State.

Take Quincy, IL, for example. The Postal Service had already studied Quincy for consolidation in 2009. At that time, the Postal Service found that the facility in Quincy was efficient and closing it would not create new efficiencies. Despite that finding, the Postmaster General decided to press ahead with the closure of the Quincy facility this year. The facts are in Quincy's favor, but it seems that the Postal Service only wants to cut its way to death.

This bill is about jobs too. The Postal Service employs more than 30,000 people in my State, from clerks, to drivers, to postmasters, to letter carriers, and so many more. These are not high-paying jobs, they are not glamorous. These are middle-class jobs that support the world's best postal delivery network. Nationwide, the Postal Service employs more than half a million people. Millions more in this country are employed in businesses that depend on the Postal Service.

Given the wide-reaching impact of the Postal Service, it is clear to me that cutting to the bone is the wrong approach. It will lead to a death spiral and the eventual end of the Postal Service as we know it.

The Postal Service must grow and reform its way into 21st century competitiveness. This bill is a first step toward achieving that goal. Brought to the floor under the leadership of Senators Lieberman and Collins, this bill begins the process of addressing some of the serious challenges facing the Postal Service. This will help USPS reduce long-term costs, increase efficiency, and grow into a 21st century service provider. I think these steps can be taken while maintaining a world-class level of service.

There is no question there will be some short-term and long-term pain associated with reforming the Postal Service. Without tough choices, I can assure you there will be bankruptcy and the demise of the Postal Service.

I believe that measured steps now, though painful, are worthwhile to preserve and improve the Postal Service for generations to come.

I urge my colleagues to join me in voting for cloture on the motion to proceed to this important legislation.

And I look forward to an open and honest debate and to working with my colleagues to strengthen the bill.

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