Political Quotes

“Madam President, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on S. 1789 and give the Postal Service both the financial footing and the business tools it needs to compete in this new communications age. Let's start by facing facts. USPS is losing business and losing money. If we do nothing, on May 15th the Postmaster will be allowed to implement his own downsizing plan, which is far more severe than this bill allows and will lead to a loss of jobs and services that could be painful in this fragile economy, especially to our small towns and rural communities. We have another choice. To all my colleagues who say they are worried about the burdens the Postmaster's proposal to close 3,700 post offices will impose on families and businesses of their states, I say: ``Vote for this bill.'' It requires the Postal Service issue service standards that ensure communities throughout the country have access to retail postal services, and requires offering alternatives to closures, such as reduced hours at existing facilities, or permitting private contractors or rural carriers to provide services. To all my colleagues who worry about the loss of postal processing facilities in their states, and the jobs and services that will go with them, I say: ``Vote for this bill.'' While it permits the Postal Service to eliminate excess capacity, it also requires it to maintain an overnight delivery standard--although for somewhat smaller geographic areas.…”