Protecting Postal Services and Jobs

If Congress does not act by May 15, many post offices and mail processing facilities – including one in my district at the Towson Town Center – could be closed. Thousands of jobs around the country are at risk.

This week, I signed a letter to the Postmaster General to delay closures until Congress considers legislation on this critical issue. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle agree that the United States Postal Service (USPS) cannot sustain itself under its current system. The Senate has already passed legislation to make significant cost-saving reforms. This includes freeing $11 billion that USPS has overpaid into federal retirement accounts and reducing the amount that it has had to “prefund” for retiree health benefits – which no other federal agency must do.

On May 15, the jobs of 8 million postal workers are in jeopardy. I’m asking that this deadline be extended so that the House of Representatives has time to act on comprehensive postal reform legislation to create a financially sound future for the USPS, while leaving intact the important services Americans and American businesses rely on.