Kansas Common Sense: Senate Considering Postal 21st Century Postal Service Act

Statement

This week, the Senate voted to consider the 21st Century Postal Service Act, and on Wednesday I spoke on the Senate floor about the bill. Over the past decade, the United States Postal Service (USPS) has seen a steady decline in First-Class Mail volume due to the increased use of the internet and our sluggish economy. This decline has contributed to the USPS's multi-billion dollar losses over the past several years.

The Postal Service is now set to close or consolidate nearly 3,600 post offices, including more than 130 in Kansas. In 2010, the Postal Regulatory Commission found that only 0.7 percent of the USPS operating budget goes to maintaining the 10,000 smallest post offices in the country, so closing these post offices will have minimal impact on the Postal Service's bottom line and a lasting effect on these communities. Rural America is entitled to its basic rights and services from its government and too often this Congress has targeted rural parts of this country disproportionately when it is trying to find savings. I am pleased my amendment to that makes certain rural communities are not forgotten by setting minimum standards of service is included in this bill.

I certainly support the concept of requiring the Postal Service to operate more like a business, and I want to make certain the decisions we make today eliminate the need for U.S. taxpayers' dollars to ever support the Postal Service. Because the mailing industry contributes $1 trillion to our economy, a measured approach must be taken to preserve service while saving the U.S. Postal Service money and reducing costs. We must meet the financial challenges facing the USPS, while making sure its Constitutional duty is not drastically changed.

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