Carper Announces his Intention to Put Out Legislation Early Next Year on Comprehensive Postal Reform

WASHINGTON, DC – Senator Tom Carper (D-DE) will announce his intention to put out legislation early next year on comprehensive postal reform legislation when he addresses the National Association of Letter Carriers at their convention in Philadelphia tomorrow. Significant reforms are needed to respond to financial problems brought on by changing technologies in an increasingly global and digital marketplace. Carper sits on the U.S. Senate Governmental Affairs Committee, which has jurisdiction over the United States Postal Service. It has been thirty years since any real changes were made within the U.S. Postal Service, the third largest employer in the world and a key part of the nation’s economy. Excerpts of Carper’s planned comments to postal workers tomorrow are below. “I’m here to say that I want to push this bill in the Senate. My hope is that we (the committee) are able to move something forward early next year. We’re going to build a strong coalition. It should be clear to everyone that the postal service’s thirty-year old business model needs to be updated for the 21st century. “I was disappointed the House bill fell short. But a lot of progress was made there. Congressman McHugh has pushed this ball, largely by himself. I hope to bring people to the table that have been opposed to his legislation in the past. I’m here to say that I am going to push this ball in the Senate. To come up with a bill that’s good for the postal service, the postal workers and the entire mailing community. “We are going to be in a position to move a bill forward early next year with strong, bipartisan support. I am hopeful that the Congress will act quickly and that there will be no need for a presidential commission that could take as long as fifteen months to come up with recommendations. If it does become necessary, however, as some have suggested, the President needs to invoke a process that is open and inclusive- unlike the commission on social security, whose outcome was predetermined.”