Press Releases

Urge Congress to act on postal reform legislation

Following the announcement by the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) that it intends to eliminate regular Saturday mail delivery beginning in August, Representatives Mike Michaud and Chellie Pingree sent a letter to congressional leaders urging them to take action on legislation to reform the USPS as soon as possible.

"This move by the Postal Service could disproportionately affect rural communities that depend on reliable and timely mail delivery," said Michaud and Pingree. "The bottom line is that Congress needs to act on postal reform so that we can avoid unnecessary service disruptions that could have a negative impact on families, businesses, and our economy as a whole."

The full text of the letter Michaud and Pingree sent today can be found below:

February 6, 2013

The Honorable John Boehner

Speaker, U.S. House of Representatives

H-232, the Capitol

Washington, D.C. 20515

The Honorable Nancy Pelosi

Democratic Leader, U.S. House of Representatives

H-204, the Capitol

Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Speaker Boehner and Leader Pelosi:

We are writing to urge you to take immediate legislative action to set the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) on a long-term, sustainable path. We are alarmed by the announcement by the USPS today that it intends to eliminate regular Saturday mail delivery beginning in August. This unnecessary action could disproportionately affect rural communities that depend on reliable and timely mail delivery.

Like all Americans, we are frustrated that Congress has failed to pass comprehensive legislation to put the USPS on a path to solid fiscal ground. While we understand that there are legitimate disagreements among members of Congress as to the future direction of the Postal Service, there is widespread agreement that Saturday mail delivery must continue. During the last session of Congress, we joined more than 200 of our colleagues on both sides of the aisle in cosponsoring H.RES. 137, which expressed that the USPS should take "all appropriate measures" to ensure continuation of six-day delivery.

We appreciate the commitment of the USPS to continuing certain Saturday parcel delivery services for packages and mail-order prescriptions. However, constituents and businesses across our state and the nation still depend on reliable mail delivery for critical services like receiving paychecks and sending and receiving payment on time. Congressional action is the only way to ensure that our constituents still have access to the postal services they need.

We ask that you bring postal reform legislation to the floor urgently. Congress must act immediately to ensure that six day delivery services remain intact and viable for the foreseeable future. Balancing the future of this vital national institution on the backs of the communities and businesses that need it most is not the way to permanent financial sustainability.

Sincerely,

MIKE MICHAUD CHELLIE PINGREE

Member of Congress Member of Congress