Jon Tester

They have been described to me as pretty ineffective.

I think we need the information that we need to make our decisions and hold them accountable but it has got to be pretty specific what we are asking for.

I certainly appreciate that perspective and appreciate the lean and mean and efficiency perspective, and I know that you are committed to making sure that this problem gets solved.

It has been going on much, much too long.

I want to thank the witnesses. I want to thank you for the work that you have done and I want to thank you for the work you are going to do.

I think partnerships are critically important.

Thank you for having this hearing. Second, congratulations on the new position.

I think it is very important from my perspective. This consultation is critically important as we deal with Government-to-Government relationships.

I think these qualities have contributed mightily to your success in taking down some pretty big dogs.

I want to thank you for what you have done. I think you have done some good work.

Some have questioned your toughness as a regulator, whether you would be able to hold accountable those sorts of folks that you might have defended in the past.

I can tell you, in my State of Montana, which is incredibly rural, folks are hungry to get going.

The JOBS Act was said by some to be the most important jobs bill that we have done in a while as far as actually creating jobs.

If we are doing things that actually reduce our mail volume and reduce the profitability, we are heading in the wrong direction.

I think everybody on this dais wants to try to help the Postal Service become more economical.

What I need is numbers that work.

I am a farmer. The worst thing I can do is give my customers something they do not want.

I am one of those guys who says do not end Saturday delivery; do not shut down that mail processing center in rural Montana.

My concern is that the Postal Service will not remain competitive in rural America and, consequently, it will be gone.

I do not oppose him because I do not think the Postal Service needs to be solvent--I think it does need to be solvent.

It is in the Constitution that we have to have a Postal Service, and I think it has been something that has worked well for this country for centuries.

We have to make sure that rural America is guaranteed a quality of service, and that is the debate we should have.

Once that processing center in Wolf Point, Montana is closed... it will be the last time the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) is used.

So, if we are going to have a mail service that is going to work for urban America, it damn well better work for rural America too.

I spent years on this committee fighting attempts to drain the livelihood of Montanans to float barges downstream.