a quick update

It’s not every day that things actually get done in Washington. But last week was a busy one. I wanted to send you a quick update with what we did.

Last week, the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, which I chair, held a business meeting to go over pending legislation. I’m proud to have sponsored multiple pieces of legislation aimed at making government more efficient. One bill will provide commonsense changes to how our government manages its real estate, letting us save money and cut government waste. Another will provide federal agencies with the information they need to cut down on wasteful improper payments, many of which are inexplicably made to deceased individuals. These bills, and more, were approved by our Committee and now go to the full Senate where, hopefully, we’ll vote on them very soon.

What I’m most proud of from last week, though, is that my friend and Ranking Member Tom Coburn from Oklahoma and I joined together to introduce the bipartisan Postal Reform Act of 2013. It’s no secret that the U.S. Postal Service has been suffering for years. Shifts to digital communication and a struggling economy have pushed the Postal Service to the brink of financial collapse – an event that would devastate our fragile economic recovery. The legislation that Senator Coburn and I introduced would help the Postal Service to right-size, modernize and make the changes necessary for it to be financially stable once again. While it isn’t perfect, this bill provides us with a strong framework for comprehensive reform. Plus, it’s the only bipartisan option on the table. I’ll spend the next few months working with my colleagues to improve this legislation, and hopefully we can finish the job and reform the Postal Service so that it survives for the long haul.

Now, the Senate has begun our summer district work period. I’ll spend the next month traveling up and down the state, hearing directly from Delawareans about how they think we should solve some of our nation’s most pressing challenges. It’s something I cherish, and I hope to see you in New Castle, Kent or Sussex Counties in the coming weeks. If I miss you though, you can always contact me and share your thoughts.

Thanks,