Congress must address this situation, first by finishing the work we began last September and permanently restructuring the Postal Service's retiree health obligation in a way that makes sense.

He will be an excellent leader and member of the Postal Service Board of Governors if the Senate chooses to confirm him.

In the past, I have spoken about the need for the Postal Service to focus not just on closing facilities, but also expanding access to the services that it offers.

There are some benefits that flow to the Postal Service, obviously, in terms of additional revenues and business.

He is truly a man of singular intelligence, character, integrity, and conviction.

I believe the Postal Service is well positioned to make the decision itself, and I believe the decision should be made by the Postal Service rather than the Congress.

I also want to thank you for your service for more than three decades and for making our former junior and then senior Senator, Joe Biden, look good enough to actually become Vice President of this country.

I believe the Postal Service has done a commendable job during the past 6 years in terms of dealing with cost controls and so forth.

Do you think there might be some way to retain 6-day-a-week delivery and to take a page out of what they have done over in the U.S. domestic auto industry?

How important is it, in your view, for Congress to find some way to permanently restructure the Postal Service's retiree health obligation--not to walk away from that obligation, but to restructure it in a way that is more realistic and…

I believe that all parties are now aware of the historic financial times the Postal Service finds itself.

I believe the Postal Service is, too. We need good people in leadership positions.

This is an ongoing crisis, and we need to act in certain ways.

My heart goes out to the folks that are impacted by this terrible accident, to the families of the 11 workers who died.

When Senator Vitter tried to pass this through the Senate immediately, it was blocked by Senator Robert Menendez.

The economic damages liability cap needs to be increased to a great extent permanently.

So for that reason, along with 20 cosponsors, we have amended the legislation for unlimited liability.

As a member from a coastal State I can say that I truly understand the importance of our shorelines to our own local and national economies.

If there is any national policy challenge that is not and should not be treated as partisan in any way, surely it is the ongoing oil disaster in the Gulf.

I congratulate Senator Menendez for introducing S. 3305. I am proud to co-sponsor the measure.

I wonder whether the 'drill, baby, drill' crowd ever thought about the 'spill, baby, spill' consequences, because that is what we have today.

Senator David Vitter introduced emergency legislation to completely remove the existing cap in Federal law for economic damages as it pertains to BP and our disaster.

Lifting the liability cap, as we do under the legislation, also instills discipline on oil companies.

I want to thank you for holding this hearing today on Senator Menendez's legislation.

Today's hearing is an important step in helping Congress figure out what kinds of reforms are needed.