Tom Carper, U.S. Senator for Delaware

Sen. Carper Lauds Senate Reauthorization of Export-Import Bank

Tue, 15 May 2012 12:00:00 EST

WASHINGTON – Today, Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) released a statement following the Senate’s vote to reauthorize the Export-Import Bank:

“A critical role of government is to create a more nurturing environment for businesses to grow and thrive, both in Delaware and across the country. By lending much-needed capital to businesses large and small, the Export-Import Bank has helped businesses in the First State and the rest of our nation expand and develop products to sell overseas. More American goods sold abroad means a healthier economy and more jobs here at home. Last year, the agency helped a handful of Delaware companies, such as Agilent Technologies, Delaware Intercorp and TotalTrax, sell more than $39 million worth of products to other nations. Moreover, the Export-Import Bank is a job-creating engine. In 2011, it supported almost 300,000 jobs across 49 states. We can’t afford to squander such successful programs. By reauthorizing the Export-Import Bank, Congress is taking action that produces real results to help finance our export-led recovery. I commend my colleagues for coming together to pass this important measure and I hope Congress uses this opportunity to build on this bipartisan momentum by addressing more challenges facing our economy right away.”

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Bipartisan Group of Senators to Host text4baby Briefing

Mon, 14 May 2012 03:00:00 EST

WASHINGTON – In honor of Mother’s Day and National Women’s Health Week, Sens. Tom Carper (D-Del.), Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), Mary Landrieu (D-La.), and Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) will host a briefing on the text4baby program and the innovative way the program provides critical health and safety information in a text-length format on Thursday, May 17 from 2:30 – 4:00 p.m. in Room 215 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. The briefing will gather leading maternal and child health experts to discuss how increasing access to health care through the innovative use of technology reduces birth complications and infant mortality, leading to better and more affordable health outcomes.

The panel will also feature a text4baby user who will share her experience with the program and how patient engagement is vital to text4baby’s success. A question and answer session, including the opportunity for press questions, will follow panelists’ introductory remarks.

Text4baby is a free text-messaging service that provides prenatal advice and healthy lifestyle tips to expecting mothers and fathers. The advice is tailored to the woman’s projected due date and tips are sent three times a week in English or Spanish until the baby reaches 1 year of age. As the largest and first free health text messaging service in the U.S., text4baby is working with over 750 public and private partners, including the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), with the goal of increasing prenatal health care knowledge and reducing our country’s infant mortality rate.

Text4baby’s founding partners include National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition, Voxiva, CTIA – The Wireless Foundation, and Grey Healthcare Group (a WPP company) and its founding sponsor is Johnson & Johnson. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) joins text4baby as a supporting partner.

WHAT:

Senators to host briefing and Q&A on text4baby program

WHO:

Hosted by:

U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.)

U.S. Senator Thad Cochran (R-Miss.)

U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu (D-La.)

U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.)

Participating panelists:

Natasha Robinson, Michigan Primary Care Association

Scott C. Ratzan, MD, MPA, Vice President, Global Health Government Affairs & Policy, Johnson & Johnson

Steve Largent, President & CEO, CTIA-The Wireless Association

Lissa A.Sirois, RD, IBCLC (invited), Breastfeeding Coordinator, WIC Nutrition Program

Bureau of Healthy Eating and Physical Activity New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services

Yvette LaCoursiere, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor, Department of Reproductive Medicine

WHEN:

Thursday, May 17

2:30-4:00 p.m.

*Audience and press Q&A will follow panelists’ remarks

WHERE:

Dirksen Senate Office Building

Senate Finance Room 215

Constitution Avenue and 1st Street NE

Washington, DC 20002

CONTACT:

To RSVP for the event, please contact Kathleen Murphy at kmurphy@hmhb.org. Please indicate if you are attending as a member of the media.

*RSVP by COB May 16

ONLINE:

Twitter: Follow the conversation using @mytext4baby, @SenatorCarper, @SenLandrieu, and @KellyAyotte, and by using the hash tag #text4baby.

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Senators Commemorate Conference on Nuclear Energy

Fri, 11 May 2012 12:00:01 EST

Commend agency for holding first international conference of its kind in United States...

Sen. Carper: Postal Service Losses Mount while House Delays Action

Fri, 11 May 2012 12:00:00 EST

New page highlights how rapidly the Postal Service is hemorrhaging money

Sen. Carper: USPS Financial Losses Underscore Urgent Need for House to Act on Postal Reform Legislation

Thu, 10 May 2012 12:00:01 EST

WASHINGTON – Today, Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), chairman of the Senate subcommittee that oversees the U.S. Postal Service, released the following reaction to the announcement that the U.S. Postal Service lost $3.2 billion in the second quarter of fiscal year 2012:

"Today's announcement that the U.S. Postal Service lost $3.2 billion in the second quarter of fiscal year 2012 shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone. This comes on the heels of several years of steep losses, including a $3.3 billion loss just last quarter, which historically is the Postal Service's strongest financial quarter. The Postal Service can't afford to continue hemorrhaging money like this and Congress can't stand idly by and allow it to continue to creep towards collapse. The Postal Service supports a trillion dollar mailing industry and over eight million jobs. At a time when we're fighting to create jobs and grow our economy, allowing the Postal Service to go under is simply not an option. As I have said time and time again, this is a dire situation but it is not hopeless – it does, however, require quick action from Congress to solve the problem. While the Postal Service is moving forward under its current authorities with some stopgap, piecemeal efforts to reduce costs, these measures don't even begin to address the serious financial crisis facing this American institution. The reality is that Congress must pass comprehensive postal reform legislation to provide the Postal Service with the tools and resources it needs to not just survive in the 21st century, but to thrive. The Senate responded to this need for action by passing the bipartisan 21st Century Postal Service Act (S.1789) last month. While that legislation is not perfect, it includes meaningful reforms that respond to the Postal Service's financial woes. Now the House must do its part and pass its own version of postal reform legislation. Every day that the House delays, the Postal Service loses $25 million. We can't afford to wait any longer. It is my hope that the House will soon announce its plans for action so that Congress and the Administration can come together on a plan in to save the Postal Service before it's too late."

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Sen. Carper Reacts to Postmaster General's Announcement on Cost-Cutting Measures for Postal Service

Wed, 09 May 2012 12:00:01 EST

WASHINGTON – Today, Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), chairman of the subcommittee that oversees the U.S. Postal Service and co-author of the 21st Century Postal Service Act, released the following statement reacting to the Postmaster General's announcement that the Postal Service would seek to reduce operating hours at post offices across the country and offer retirement incentives to postal employees:

"I am glad that many of the ideas presented today by the Postmaster General track closely with those included in the Senate bill, the 21st Century Postal Service Act, which I co-authored and which passed the Senate on a bipartisan vote in April. The Postal Service's plan gives local communities a voice in ensuring that essential postal services are preserved by allowing them to select from a menu of service options while still allowing the Postal Service to reduce costs. It also encourages eligible postal employees to retire, saving additional money for the Postal Service. This proposal allows the Postal Service to move forward with some cost saving efforts by utilizing tools it currently has access to, but the reality is that the Postal Service is forced to rely on a limited toolbox because Congress has yet to pass comprehensive, long-term reform to give the Postal Service the resources and flexibility it needs to significantly address its financial challenges.

"Stopgap, piecemeal measures like the proposal offered today only address a small part of the problem and will not keep the Postal Service from an imminent collapse. This plan does not address some serious issues that continue to drain the Postal Service's finances every day, including its costly retiree health care payments and past overpayments to the Federal Employee Retirement System – which total nearly $11 billion. Moreover, this solution doesn't go far enough to encourage a responsible reduction in its workforce.

"The Postal Service needs a comprehensive solution, not more tinkering around the edges. The Senate passed a comprehensive bill that would modernize the Postal Service, allowing it to right-size and become competitive in the 21st century. Now, it's up to the House to pass a bill. We can't wait any longer."

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Hearing: "Nomination of Joseph Jordan to be Administrator, OFPP"

10:00 a.m. | 513 Hart Senate Office Building | Washington, DC — Wed, 09 May 2012 12:00:01 EST

Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee...

Telephone Town Hall

6:00 p.m. — Wed, 09 May 2012 12:00:01 EST

Sen. Carper to Host Health Care Reform Telephone Town Hall Wednesday May 9, 2012 from 6 – 7 p.m....

Finance Committee Hearing

10:00 a.m. | 215 Dirksen Senate Office Building | Washington, DC — Tue, 08 May 2012 12:00:01 EST

"Nomination of Mark Mazur and Matthew Rutherford to be Assistant Treasury Secretary and Meredith Broadbent to be on the U.S. International Trade Commission...

Sen. Carper Statement on the Stop Student Loan Interest Rate Hike Act Vote

Tue, 08 May 2012 12:00:01 EST

WASHINGTON – Today, Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) voted in favor of the motion to proceed to S. 2343, the Stop Student Loan Interest Rate Hike Act. The vote failed, 52 to 45. His statement follows:

"All Americans deserve the opportunity to obtain a quality education so they can be competitive in the global market place. Unfortunately, the costs of obtaining post-secondary education and training have risen dramatically in recent years. These rising costs have forced more students and their families to rely heavily on loans to finance their pursuit of higher education and are leaving recent graduates – many who are also struggling to find work – saddled with a record amount of student loan debt.

"In order to keep our nation competitive in the 21st century, we must provide a world-class education for our children and create the most productive workforce on this planet. That requires us to continue to expand higher education opportunities for students, provide our veterans with a better transition from the battlefield to the classroom, and make it easier for Americans to finance their college education. This legislation is an important part of that effort, helping our students continue their education and career training with the assurance that their student loan interest rate will remain low. We've taken major steps toward giving more Americans a chance to obtain a higher education, but Congress and the Administration must continue its commitment to students, families and veterans to eliminate as best we can the burden of the rising cost of college for generations to come.

"While I'm disappointed that this legislation did not receive enough support from some of my Senate colleagues to begin debate on this important bill, we will continue to work to find a solution to this problem so student loan rates don't double on July 1 of this year."

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Sen. Carper Statement on April Jobs Report

Fri, 04 May 2012 12:00:01 EST

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) issued the following statement after the Department of Labor announced that the economy added 115,000 jobs in April and the unemployment rate dropped to 8.1 percent:

The American economy, particularly our private sector, continues to display resilience in the recovery from the steepest economic downturn since the Great Depression. The 130,000 private sector jobs added in the month of April marks 26 consecutive months of growth for a total of over 4 million jobs during that time period. We still have a long way to go, with many of our friends and neighbors out of work, but we're making real progress, albeit slowly, toward recovering the millions of jobs lost in the wake of the financial crisis.

Congress and the Administration must build on this momentum and also ensure that we avoid measures that could harm the recovery. A top priority for the U.S. House of Representatives should be to follow the lead of the Senate and pass a bill to reform the U.S. Postal Service – an industry that employs over 8 million people and generates $1 trillion in economic activity each year. If the House fails to pass a bill by May 15th, the Postal Service could move forward with closing over 1,000 post offices and mail distribution centers across the country, putting the jobs that rely on the Postal Service in jeopardy and further threatening our fragile economy. Simply put, we can't let that happen. The House must act soon.

After that, Congress has a lengthy to-do list, including reauthorizing the Export-Import Bank, eliminating agricultural trade barriers, and convincing the House to pass the Senate's bipartisan transportation bill to preserve two million construction jobs. I look forward to tackling these challenges in the coming weeks and continuing my efforts to create a more nurturing environment for job creation and job preservation in Delaware and across the country.

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Sen. Carper Highlights Over $12 Million in Competitive Grants Available for Veteran Job Training Services

Thu, 03 May 2012 12:00:01 EST

WASHINGTON – Today, Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) highlighted over $12 million in competitive grants now available to provide job training services for over 6,000 of our nation's veterans. The grants are part of the Department of Labor's Veterans' Workforce Investment Program (VWIP), which provides job training and skills development services to help Veterans succeed in civilian careers. State and local Workforce Investment Boards, Public agencies, non-profit organizations, including faith-based and community-based and neighborhood partnerships are eligible to apply.

Interested applicants can apply for the grant on the Department of Labor's website, http://www.grants.gov or http://www.dol.gov/vets/programs/vwip/main.htm. More information on this grant and other veterans' benefits can be found on Sen. Carper's Veterans Resources website, a convenient and easy-to-use web page that aggregates links to veteran-related resources, including U.S. and Delaware Department of Veterans Affairs benefits forms, Veterans Jobs Bank information, as well as job search and job training guides. The page builds on Sen. Carper's commitment to ensure that our veterans have the proper resources and support they need once they arrive home.

"As a veteran, I know the sacrifices our service members make by defending our nation, and we have a responsibility to ensure that our heroes have the proper resources and support to re-enter the workforce once they arrive home," said Sen. Carper. "This competitive grant will help states provide critical job training, development and other resources to help combat the problem of veteran unemployment. As we continue to focus on job creation for our nation's unemployed, we must not overlook the need to get Delaware's – and our nation's – veterans back to work. I encourage eligible Delaware organizations to apply."

The Department of Labor will award at least 10 grants in 10 states to support approximately 6,000 Veterans overcome employment barriers and ease their transition into unsubsidized jobs. Through VWIP, Veterans receive skills assessments, individual job counseling, labor market information, classroom or on-the-job training, skills upgrading, placement assistance and crucial follow-up services. Veterans may also be eligible for services through other Workforce Investment Act programs for economically disadvantaged or dislocated workers.

Funds are being awarded on a competitive basis to state and local workforce investment boards, local public agencies and nonprofit organizations, including faith-based and community organizations. Grantees must be familiar with the areas and populations to be served and have demonstrated that they can administer effective programs.

More information on the Department of Labor's unemployment and re-employment programs for Veterans can be found at www.dol.gov/vets.

Should you have questions, please email cantrell.margaret@dol.gov or diegel.brittany@dol.gov

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Sen. Carper to Announce Funding for New Castle County Routes 9 and 13 Corridor Improvement Project

11:30 a.m. | Wilmington University | New Castle, DE — Thu, 03 May 2012 12:00:01 EST

WILMINGTON – On Thursday, May 3, 2012, U.S. Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) will participate in an event to announce more than $41,000 in federal funding to New Castle County from the Economic Development Administration. This grant award will go toward creating an economic development plan to revitalize the Routes 9 and 13 Corridor. The plan will identify opportunities for small and existing businesses to better use the current highway, rail and air infrastructure to grow and expand operations and increase exports. The plan will also identify ways to invest in the workforce through job training programs and ultimately revitalize this community.

Delaware's Congressional Delegation Announces $1 Million Award to Expand Access to Affordable, Quality Health Care to Delawareans

Wed, 02 May 2012 12:00:01 EST

Federal grant to Westside Family Health Center will go toward expansion to help serve more patients...

Sen. Carper Joins Bipartisan Effort to Combat Waste, Fraud, and Abuse in Medicare and Medicaid Programs

Wed, 02 May 2012 12:00:01 EST

WASHINGTON – Today, Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) and five of his colleagues on the Senate Finance Committee announced a bipartisan effort to begin soliciting ideas from interested stakeholders in the health care community regarding effective solutions to improve federal efforts to combat waste, fraud, and abuse in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. The effort, led by Ranking Member Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.), also includes Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa).

In an open letter to members of the health care community, the Senators wrote, "We believe federal efforts would be strengthened by input from members across the health care community – providers, payers, health plans, contractors, non-profit entities, consumers, data analytics entities, governmental partners, and patients. Drawing on the collective wisdom and accumulated insights of thousands of professionals and individual experiences could offer a fresh perspective and potentially identify solutions that may have been overlooked or underutilized."

This week, the lawmakers invited interested stakeholders to submit white papers offering recommendations and innovative solutions to improve program integrity efforts, strengthen payment reforms, and enhance fraud and abuse enforcement efforts. Submissions are due by June 29, 2012. A summary document highlighting key proposals will be compiled and released later this year.

The Senate Finance Committee has jurisdiction over the Medicare and Medicaid programs.

To view a signed copy of the letter click HERE.

Below is the full text of the letter:

May 2, 2012

To Members of the Health Care Community:

According to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), few programs are as much at risk for fraud, waste and abuse as the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Estimates of the amount of fraud and misspending in these programs vary widely, from $20 billion to as much as $100 billion. Just this week, testimony before the Senate Finance Committee underscored the seriousness of this problem, as witnesses testified that while much has been accomplished in the fight against fraud and abuse, much more needs to be done. As Senators and members of the Finance Committee, we have a duty to ensure that taxpayer funds are being spent wisely.

Combating fraud in Medicare and Medicaid has long been a challenge for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the Department of Health and Human Services Inspector General (HHS OIG) and the Department of Justice (DOJ). To date, numerous efforts have been made to reduce fraud, yielding a mixed record of successes and failures. We believe federal efforts would be strengthened by input from members across the health care community – providers, payers, health plans, contractors, non-profit entities, consumers, data analytics entities, governmental partners, and patients. Drawing on the collective wisdom and accumulated insights of thousands of professionals and individual experiences could offer a fresh perspective and potentially identify solutions that may have been overlooked or underutilized.

Today we are announcing an effort to solicit ideas from all interested stakeholders in the health care community, regarding solutions and suggestions for how to better prevent and combat the multi-billion dollar problem of waste, fraud and abuse in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. We invite you to submit white papers offering your best ideas, built on years of experience and insight. We want to know what areas you see for improvement in current program integrity efforts, as well as additional solutions that we should consider. Working together, we hope to identify innovative solutions that will provide taxpayers with a better return on the investments being made to combat the overpayments in these federal health care programs.

Below are the general categories in which we seek input, though some recommendations may include multiple categories:

Program Integrity Reforms to Protect Beneficiaries and Prevent Fraud and Abuse
Payment Integrity Reforms to Ensure Accuracy, Efficiency and Value
Fraud and Abuse Enforcement Reforms to Ensure Tougher Penalties Against Those Who Commit Fraud

Entities interested in submitting white papers should email a PDF or Microsoft Word document to ProgramIntegrityWhitePapers@finance.senate.gov by June 29, 2012. Submissions should include summary information about the entity or individual submitting a white paper, as well as phone and email contact information. White papers should be as succinct and concrete as possible. When possible, please include cost-benefit or potential savings information. Our staff will review submissions and compile a summary document highlighting key proposals later this year.

We appreciate your submission of thoughtful and constructive solutions, as we work to conduct targeted oversight to improve federal efforts to reduce fraud and abuse in Medicare and Medicaid. Together, we believe we can improve program integrity and be better stewards of taxpayer dollars.

Sincerely,

Sen. Max Baucus
Sen. Orrin Hatch
Sen. Tom Coburn
Sen. Ron Wyden
Sen. Chuck Grassley
Sen. Tom Carper

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Sen. Carper Statement on the Anniversary of the Death of Osama bin Laden

Tue, 01 May 2012 12:00:01 EST

WASHINGTON – Today, Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) released the following statement on the anniversary of the death of Osama bin Laden:

"As we mark this important anniversary of the death of Osama bin Laden, our hearts go out to all the families in the United States and around the world who lost a loved one because of his acts of terror and those of Al Qaeda. A year ago this evening, our nation achieved an important victory in our ongoing effort to fight terror at home and around the world after the President, his Administration and our brave men and women of the U.S. Armed Services and counter terrorism forces succeeded in the mission to kill Osama bin Laden. Today, we again honor their tremendous accomplishment, as well as the persistence and sacrifice from the members of the military and intelligence community who worked for over a decade to seek justice for Osama bin Laden's victims. That being said, this is not the end of our efforts to fight terrorism. We need to continue to remain eternally vigilant because we know all too well that there are still those around the world who would do us harm. We must not rest in our work and our progress to stop terrorism and ensure a safer America."

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Senate bill saves Postal Service

By Joseph Lieberman, Susan Collins, Thomas Carper and Scott Brown — Tue, 01 May 2012 12:00:01 EST

Sens. Joseph Lieberman, I-Conn., Susan Collins, R-Maine, Thomas Carper, D-Del. and Scott Brown, R-Mass., are sponsors of the Senate postal reform legislation.

The U.S. Postal Service is in financial free fall. In large part because of Internet competition, it has lost $13.6 billion in the past two years, owes the Treasury $12.9 billion, and will soon exceed its credit limit of $15 billion. Without legislation, the universal service that is critical to all Americans and our economy, and that sustains 8 million jobs, will come to an end. Rural America, in particular, will be left behind. Action is needed now.

By a strong bipartisan vote, the Senate passed a bill last week that gives USPS the authority it needs to right-size, modernize and remain competitive. It isn't a perfect bill, but it would put USPS on a path toward financial stability.

Nearly 80% of Postal Service costs are workforce-related; these must be confronted. Under the Senate bill, USPS would use the same kinds of retirement incentives that private industry uses to restructure and voluntarily "right-size" its workforce, to further reduce the postal workforce by 20%, or roughly 100,000 positions, eventually saving $8 billion a year. Analysis by USPS shows the Senate bill would save more than $19 billion a year by 2016.

The bill also establishes an orderly and predictable process for achieving a more optimal network of post offices and mail processing plants, requiring involvement of local communities to ensure that essential services are preserved, while reducing mail processing centers by a third. It's not enough just to cut expenses; USPS must grow revenue through innovation, new products and services in a digital age.

Before adopting this reform legislation, the Senate wisely rejected amendments that would have slashed jobs and services. This would drive away more customers, decrease revenues and accelerate the decline of a $1.1 trillion mailing industry.

We face a looming deadline of May 15 before USPS is scheduled to implement drastic changes that will only make matters worse. We must reverse USPS' daily loss of $25 million and save the Postal Service for the next generation of Americans. The Senate-passed legislation would get that done.

Full story: http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/story/2012-04-30/Senate-Postal-Service-bill/54648810/1

Senate Postal Leaders Urge House Leadership to Act Quickly on Postal Reform Legislation

Tue, 01 May 2012 12:00:01 EST

WASHINGTON – Today, the lead sponsors of bipartisan, comprehensive postal reform sent a letter to the leadership of the House of Representatives urging them to promptly consider critical postal reform legislation. In their letter to Speaker of the House John Boehner and Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, the Senators call on the House to act on legislation before May 15 so that the two chambers can reconcile their bills to turn around the Postal Service's daily loss of $25 million, prevent the unnecessary wholesale closing of regional mail facilities and local post offices, and save this iconic institution that delivers over 500 million pieces of mail a day and sustains over 8 million jobs. Last week, the Senate overwhelmingly passed the 21st Century Postal Service Act (S. 1789), which was introduced by Sens. Joe Lieberman (ID-Conn.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Tom Carper (D-Del.) and Scott Brown (R-Mass.).

"The Postal Service's financial crisis will likely come to a head in the next few months. Without legislation, the Postal Service will not be able to make payments that are due and will likely be forced to slash services," wrote the Senators. "We fear that the resulting degradation of mail service will further drive away postal customers, only hastening the loss of postal revenue, the accelerating contraction of mail processing and mail-related industry, and further loss of associated jobs."

The financial condition of the Postal Service has been deteriorating for years but the economic downturn and the near universal use of the internet for communications and commerce have hastened its downward spiral.

To help USPS cut costs and raise revenues, 21st Century Postal Service Act (S. 1789) would:

Give the Postmaster General access to money USPS has overpaid into one of its retirement funds to provide incentives to encourage 100,000 eligible employees to retire. This would help voluntarily "right-size" the workforce to take into account the steep decline in first class mail volume in recent years;
Reduce the amount of money that USPS has to prefund for retiree health benefits by amortizing the costs over 40 years and calculating those costs more appropriately.
Retain overnight delivery of first class mail, but limit it in some cases to shorter geographic distances.
Prevent the Postal Service from going to five-day delivery for the next two years and require it to exhaust all other cost-saving measures first;
Require USPS to set standards for retail service across the country, consider several alternative options before closing post offices, and provide for increased opportunity for public input;
Allow USPS to sell non-postal products and services in appropriate cases;
Allow USPS to ship beer, wine, and distilled spirits.
Create a Chief Innovation Officer to foster innovation at USPS
Reform the Federal Employees Compensation Act, the federal workers' compensation program.

The bill also expands the alternatives USPS must consider before closing a post office and it establishes a Strategic Advisory Commission, to be composed of prominent citizens and charged with developing a new strategic blueprint for the Postal Service.

The text of the letter follows:

April 30, 2012

The Honorable John A. Boehner
Speaker
House of Representatives
H-232 US Capitol
Washington, DC 20515

The Honorable Nancy Pelosi
Democratic Leader
House of Representatives
H-204 US Capitol
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Speaker Boehner and Democratic Leader Pelosi:

The Senate last week passed a bipartisan postal reform bill designed to preserve the United States Postal Service and put it on a solid financial ground for the next generation of Americans. We are writing to urge that the House of Representatives act promptly, so that the two chambers can reconcile their bills to turn around the Postal Service's daily loss of $25 million, prevent the unnecessary wholesale closing of regional mail facilities and local post offices, and save this iconic institution that delivers over 500 million pieces of mail a day and sustains over 8 million jobs.

The Postal Service's financial crisis will likely come to a head in the next few months. Without legislation, the Postal Service will not be able to make payments that are due and will likely be forced to slash services. In addition, we face a looming deadline of May 15, when the Postal Service is scheduled to begin wholesale closures of potentially thousands of rural post offices and other retail sites and hundreds of processing centers. We fear that the resulting degradation of mail service will further drive away postal customers, only hastening the loss of postal revenue, the accelerating contraction of mail processing and mail-related industry, and further loss of associated jobs.

We believe the Senate bill, S.1789, takes a better approach. Under the Senate bill, the Postal Service would use the same kinds of retirement-incentives that private industry uses to restructure and voluntarily "right-size" its workforce, to reduce the postal workforce over a period of 3 years by 18 percent, or roughly 100,000 positions, eventually saving $8 billion per year. Analysis provided by the Postal Service shows this bill would save more than $19 billion per year by 2016. The bill also establishes an orderly and predictable process for achieving a more optimal network of post offices and mail processing plants, requiring involvement of local communities to ensure that essential postal services are preserved.

More specifically, the bill that passed the Senate last week would:

Give the Postmaster General access to money that the Postal Service has overpaid into one of its retirement funds, so that he can use the money to provide incentives to encourage 100,000 eligible employees to retire. This would help voluntarily "right-size" the workforce to take into account the steep decline in first class mail volume;
Reduce the amount of money that the Postal Service must contribute for future retiree health benefits, by replacing the current fixed annual payments and moving up to this year the 40-year amortization payments now scheduled to start in 2017;
Retain some overnight delivery of first class mail, but limit it in some cases to shorter geographic distances;
Prevent the Postal Service from going to five-day delivery for the next two years and require it to exhaust all other cost-saving measures first;
Require the Postal Service to set standards for retail service across the country, consider several alternative options before closing post offices, and provide for increased opportunity for public input;
Allow the Postal Service to sell non-postal products and services in appropriate cases;
Allow the Postal Service to ship beer, wine, and distilled spirits;
Create a Chief Innovation Officer to foster innovation at the Postal Service;
Reform the Federal Employees Compensation Act, which is the workers' compensation program for federal employees including postal workers; and
Expand the alternatives that the Postal Service must consider before closing a post office, and establish a Strategic Advisory Commission, composed of prominent citizens and charged with developing a new strategic blueprint for the Postal Service.

We look forward to working with you and your colleagues in the House of Representatives very soon to reconcile S. 1789 with House legislation to save this vital American institution.

Sincerely,

Joseph I. Lieberman
Chairman

Susan M. Collins
Ranking Member

Thomas R. Carper
Chairman
Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, Federal Services and International Security

Scott P. Brown
Ranking Member
Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, Federal Services and International Security

Cc: The Honorable Eric Cantor
Majority Leader
House of Representatives

The Honorable Steny Hoyer
Democratic Whip
House of Representatives

The Honorable Darrell Issa
Chairman
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
House of Representatives

The Honorable Elijah E. Cummings
Ranking Member
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
House of Representatives

The Honorable Dennis Ross
Chairman
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
Subcommitee on Federal Workforce
House of Representatives

The Honorable Stephen Lynch
Ranking Member
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
Subcommitee on Federal Workforce
House of Representatives

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Sen. Carper Launches Countdown to Critical Postal Service Deadline

Tue, 01 May 2012 12:00:01 EST

Calls on House to pass a postal reform bill by May 15th to avoid potential closure of over 1,000 facilities...

Sen. Carper Highlights Critical Postal Service Deadline

Tue, 01 May 2012 12:00:00 EST

Urges House action on postal reform legislation by May 15th to avoid the potential closure of over 1,000 postal facilities across the country.