Carper, Coons, Carney & Markell Write to PMG Urging Review of Hare’s Corner Proposal
Filed under: politics, post office closings, postal, postal news, press releases, usps
Officials highlight concerns regarding USPS’s proposal to revamp Delaware’s only mail processing and distribution center
February 3,2012
WILMINGTON – Today, Sen. Tom Carper, chairman of the Senate Subcommittee that oversees the U.S. Postal Service, along with Gov. Jack Markell, Sen. Chris Coons and Rep. John Carney (all D-Del.) wrote to United States Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe urging him to review the U.S. Postal Service’s proposal that would revamp Delaware’s only mail processing facility, causing a significant negative impact on Delaware. Specifically, the Postal Service has proposed transferring the mail processing functions from the Delaware Processing and Distribution facility at Hare’s Corner in New Castle, Del., to another facility in Bellmawr, N.J.
The letter highlights several concerns with the proposal and the process the Postal Service has employed when considering revamping the Hare’s Corner facility. It includes statements from businesses and state and federal agencies noting that this proposal would negatively impact their operations. It also urges the Postmaster General to reconsider the Area Mail Processing study that led to the current proposal, explore the concerns raised regarding the proposal, and consider the possibility of consolidating other operations into the Delaware Processing and Distribution facility. Read more
Senator Carper To Hold Telephone Town Hall Meeting Tomorrow On Future Of USPS
WASHINGTON – Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) will hold a telephone town hall meeting to hear questions, comments and concerns from Delawareans, including U.S. Postal Service employees. Sen. Carper will answer participants’ questions and share his thoughts on a range of topics, but he will focus primarily on the U.S. Postal Service’s ongoing financial challenges, the Postal Service’s recent cost-cutting initiatives such as the proposed closing of the Hares Corner processing facility in New Castle, as well as the urgent need for postal reform and what it means for Delawareans. The call will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, January 11, 2012. Read more
Senator Carper Issues Statement on USPS Proposal to Close Hares Corner Facility
Filed under: post office closings, postal, postal news, usps
Sen. Carper Statement on U.S. Postal Service Announcement Regarding Hares Corner Processing Center
WASHINGTON – Today, Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), Chairman of the Senate subcommittee that oversees the U.S. Postal Service, released the following statement on the U.S. Postal Service’s announcement regarding moving forward on the closure of the Hares Corner Processing Center.
The U.S. Postal Service originally scheduled a public meeting regarding the announcement for January 4, 2012. However, Sen. Carper asked the Postal Service to delay that meeting to allow more time for review, and the Postal Service has rescheduled the meeting for January 12, 2012. Additionally, in light of the holidays and a lack of public information on the decision-making process to close Hares Corner, Sen. Carper has sent a letter to the Postmaster General requesting to postpone the meeting further – by at least a week – to allow the public, key stakeholders and elected officials sufficient time to understand the factors leading up to this decision and to fully prepare to make appropriate comments at the public meeting. Delawareans can check Sen. Carper’s website, www.carper.senate.gov, for updates regarding the announcement and to leave questions or comments for the Senator. Read more
Senator Carper Statement on USPS Decision to Delay Post Office Closures
Filed under: politics, post office closings, postal, postal news, press releases, usps
WASHINGTON – Today, Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), Chairman of the subcommittee that oversees the U.S. Postal Service, released the following statement on the Postal Service’s decision to delay closing or consolidation of post offices and mail processing facilities:
“Ensuring that the U.S. Postal Service has the tools and resources it needs to survive and thrive in the 21st century is a top priority for all of us in Congress, and I welcome my colleagues’ interest in addressing the Postal Service’s financial crisis as soon as possible. Over the past year, I have worked tirelessly with Senators Lieberman (ID-CT), Collins (R-ME), and Brown (R-MA), Postal management, employees, customers and my colleagues to develop a comprehensive and effective Postal reform bill. But while we worked – and continue to work – the Postal Service’s financial challenges grow worse with every passing day. In order to address those challenges, the Postal Service has moved forward with individual cost-saving measures in order to keep it afloat until Congress can approve comprehensive reform legislation. Many of my colleagues have very reasonable concerns with the Postal Service moving forward with these measures at a time when Congress is moving closer to providing the Postal Service a financial lifeline. This agreement appears to address those concerns.
“The bipartisan postal bill that I co-authored – the 21st Century Postal Service Act — contains real, permanent reform that can save this American institution and help it thrive in these challenging times. It would address concerns about the impact of closing post offices by requiring a new service standard that ensures fairness and accessibility to postal services. Once passed, the bipartisan bill would suspend all post office closings until these standards are in place. It would also set out new procedures for closing mail processing facilities that seek to improve transparency and ensure that community concerns are heard. The point of these provisions is not to protect any particular postal facility, but rather to put in place processes that are both fair and equitable while giving the Postal Service the flexibility it needs. That said, this moratorium must be temporary. In addition, it’s imperative that the Postal Service continue in the coming months to move forward with the studies and community meetings that must occur before a facility closes so that it can be ready to act at the appropriate time. It would be irresponsible for Congress to permanently take away or curtail authority the Postal Service has had for more than 30 years to make operational decisions. It would be equally irresponsible to give those customers and employees who oppose specific facilities being closed the false hope that tough decisions by the Postal Service to downsize its operations that are likely inevitable can be avoided forever.
“Moving forward, I hope that the agreement announced today between the Postal Service and our Senate colleagues can be a constructive step in Congress’s efforts to improve the Postal Service’s facility closing process and update the Postal Service operations and business model in general in response to the 21st century challenges it faces.”
Senator Carper Responds To USPS Proposal to Change Service Standards
“Today’s announcement is another grim reminder that we must act quickly if we want to save the Postal Service and the eight million jobs that rely on it. Although we’ve made some progress in moving postal reform bills forward in the House and Senate, we still have a lot of work that needs to be done in order to find a comprehensive solution to the Postal Service’s serious financial problems. In the absence of assistance from Congress and the Administration, the Postal Service has been forced to take matters into their own hands and try to modernize their business model with the limited tools and resources available to them. This situation is less than ideal. The few measures that the Postal Service can adopt on its own – such as closing distribution centers and slowing down first-class mail delivery times – to extend its survival and avoid insolvency will also potentially further erode its declining business. Make no mistake, this situation is dire, but it is not hopeless. My colleagues Sens. Lieberman (ID-CT), Collins (R-ME), and Brown (R-MA) and I have joined together to introduce the only comprehensive postal reform bill that is bipartisan – the 21st Century Postal Service Act (S.1789). We need to a comprehensive reform bill as soon as possible. It is my hope that Congress and the Administration can come together on this plan in order to save the Postal Service before it’s too late.”
Source: PostCom
Burrus: Open Letter to Senator Tom Carper on Postal Reform Bill
November 17, 2011
The Honorable Senator Thomas Carper
513 Hart Senate Office Building
United States Senate
513 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Senator Carper:
I no longer serve as President of the American Postal Workers Union so I do not have the privilege of meeting with you on postal matters and sharing experiences about our mutual connections to the State of West Virginia. During one visit you graciously introduced me to your son who demonstrated the making of a productive career; I want to wish him well.
The purpose of writing this open letter is to put in perspective current efforts to reform the Postal Service. It is undeniable that legislation is necessary to address the short and long term finances of the United States Postal Service. It serves no purpose for me to engage in the causes of this financial dilemma because regardless of the reasons, legislation is necessary to continue government mail services into the future. I do want to bring to your attention the contradictions in the Bills introduced in the House and Senate, most notably, S. 1789, which you are a co-sponsor and avid supporter. Read more
Senators Lieberman, Collins, Carper, and Brown React to USPS Losses
Filed under: politics, postal, postal news, postal reform, press releases, usps
WASHINGTON – Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Joe Lieberman (ID-Conn), Ranking Member Susan Collins (R-Maine), Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management Chairman Tom Carper (D-Del.), and Senator Scott Brown (R-Mass.) reacted Tuesday to an announcement from the Postal Service that it lost $5.1 billion in Fiscal Year 2011. The loss would have been $10 billion without emergency Congressional intervention.
Sen. Lieberman: “This is yet more confirmation of what we already know: the Postal Service is in such deep financial trouble that mail delivery would be disrupted sometime next year unless bold action is taken. Senators Collins, Carper, Brown, and I have proposed bold reforms in our 21st Century Postal Service Act, which was approved by the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee last week. I urge my colleagues to support our bill as a last ditch effort to save this valuable national asset upon which millions of people and businesses rely every day.”
Sen. Collins: “It’s no surprise the red ink continues to flood the U.S. Postal Service. Absent action, it won’t be able to meet its payroll a year from now. The Postal Service is the linchpin of a $1.1 trillion mailing and mail-related industry that employs approximately 8.7 million Americans in fields as diverse as direct mail, printing, catalog companies, and paper manufacturing. It literally won’t survive without legislative and administrative reforms. That’s why the bipartisan bill passed by the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committee represents a huge step forward toward giving the Postal Service the authority it needs to restructure, modernize, survive, and thrive. I’m hopeful that this bipartisan compromise legislation will move swiftly through the Senate.”
Sen. Carper: “I have been saying for some time now that Congress needs to come together on a plan that can save the Postal Service and protect the more than eight million jobs that rely on it. Last week, we took an important step in our effort to reform the Postal Service by passing the bipartisan 21st Century Postal Service Act (S.1789) out of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. Today’s report again underscores the urgency of this situation. But while the situation is dire, it is not hopeless. That is why we need to pass this bipartisan and comprehensive bill – the only bipartisan proposal from Members in either Chamber – as soon as possible. It is my hope that Congress and the Administration can come together on this plan in order to save the Postal Service before it’s too late.”
Sen. Brown: “Combined with losses from previous years, it is clear that the Postal Service faces a significant risk of being insolvent by next year. Congress will need to act soon to address some of the major financial challenges the Postal Service is facing. The 21st Century Postal Service Act is ready to head to the floor and it’s my hope that it will be called up as soon as possible, so that we can begin to put the Postal Service on a path towards financial solvency.”
Senators Introduce 21st Century Postal Service Act
WASHINGTON – Today, Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, Federal Services, and International Security, which oversees the U.S. Postal Service, joined Sens. Joe Lieberman (ID-Conn.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), and Scott Brown (R-Maine) to introduce the bipartisan 21st Century Postal Service Act of 2011. His statement, as prepared for delivery, follows: Read more
Flashback: Congress Says 2006 Postal Reform Bill Will Make USPS Viable for 21st Century
Are we in the 22nd Century yet? On December 20, 2006, the “Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006″ was passed in both House and Senate (Darrell Issa was there at the time). This legislation was supposed to “modernize the United States Postal Service and make it viable for the 21st century. The legislation, the first major overhaul of the USPS since 1970, will help stabilize mail volume and stamp prices.” Read more
Senator Carper Reacts to President Obama’s Proposal to Save the Postal Service
Filed under: politics, postal, postal news, press releases, usps
Plan includes many of Sen. Carper’s recommendations for comprehensive reform; measure would reduce deficit by more than $10 billion over 10 years
WASHINGTON – Today, Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), Chairman of the Subcommittee that oversees the U.S. Postal Service, released the following statement reacting to President Obama’s proposal to address the U.S. Postal Service’s ongoing financial crisis:
“I have been saying for some time now that Congress and the Administration need to come together on a plan that can save the Postal Service and protect the more than seven million jobs that rely on it. The Administration has put forward a plan that appears to include many of the recommendations that I suggested to President Obama earlier this month and that were included in legislation I introduced this past spring. The President’s proposal would help the Postal Service update its business model to reflect Americans’ changing communications habits and address some of the financial burdens associated with the Postal Service’s future retiree healthcare costs and payments to the federal pension systems. It would also allow the Postal Service to pursue innovative opportunities to attract new business by taking better advantage of its nationwide retail, delivery and logistics network. Not only does this proposal help the Postal Service fix its finances but it also reportedly trims our federal deficit by over $10 billion over the next 10 years. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the coming days to study this proposal further. That said, what the President has put forward today appears to be a meaningful response to a very real and dire crisis that has the potential, perhaps in combination with other proposals that have been made in recent months, to address the challenges facing the Postal Service in the near term and in the years to come.”
On Sept. 9, 2011, Sen. Carper wrote to President Obama suggesting several reforms for the Postal Service that could be included in the President’s proposal to the Joint Committee on Deficit Reduction. To read the letter, please click here.