Political Quotes

“Mr. President, one of the factors in creating a favorable environment for job creation and job preservation is, of all things, something that has been around for 200 years to 225 years, and that is the U.S. Postal Service. Not many people think of the Postal Service as part of the engine that helps drive our economy, but it is. There are 7 to 8 million jobs that flow directly from work directly involved or indirectly involved with the Postal Service--7 to 8 million jobs. For a number of years, the Postal Service has been losing money. There are a lot of questions about whether they will be able to make it, whether they will be able to survive, whether they are going to contribute or simply fold up and go away. So I would note that another priority of mine for years has been postal reform. My dance partner on this for a number of years was Senator Susan Collins, a Republican and a very capable leader, and for the last several years Tom Coburn, a Republican from Oklahoma--Dr. Coburn--who retired at the end of last year. We have worked with a lot of folks--Democrats and Republicans in the House and Senate--in the last couple of years to try to find a way not just to make the Postal Service relevant but to enable them to be successful. And one of our real challenges has been how to take a 200-plus-year-old network--a legacy delivery network that goes to every mailbox in this country, business or residential--and enable them to make money in a digital age in the 21st century.…”