Christopher Shays: “I rise in support of H.R. 6407, the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act. The Government Reform Committee, of which…”

“I rise in support of H.R. 6407, the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act. The Government Reform Committee, of which I am vice-chairman, has held hearings and briefings on postal reform for several years now, and I am glad to see our efforts come to fruition today. The United States Postal Service has been forced to cut back on its service due to serious financial challenges. H.R. 6407 is an effort to modernize our nation's postal laws for the first time in 36 years. It is intended to help ensure the United States Postal Service can survive in an increasingly competitive marketplace. Due to the increasing use of electronic forms of communication, such as email, first-class mail volume is declining, but postal addresses are increasing. In lieu of simply increasing rates, an entire reform of the postal service is necessary. H.R. 6407 would require the Postal Service to operate in a more businesslike manner by creating a modern system of rate regulation, establishing fair competition rules and a more powerful regulatory commission. H.R. 6407 will also promote both price stability and pricing flexibility. Giving the Postal Service pricing flexibility will allow USPS to price its core mail products in a way that keeps them competitive and, quite literally, in the mail.”