Tom Udall: “I rise today in support of my amendment to strike section 208 from the postal reform bill. Section 208 would authorize…”

“I rise today in support of my amendment to strike section 208 from the postal reform bill. Section 208 would authorize the U.S. Postal Service to move to 5-day delivery service within 2 years. The U.S. Postal Service faces significant financial problems. Changes must be made for the Postal Service to adjust to a digital world. The budgetary concerns are very real--we all know this--but an imminent reduction in service to 5 days a week is not the answer. No. 1, a shift to 5-day service could result in the loss of up to 80,000 jobs nationally. Is this the time to be proposing 80,000 layoffs? No. 2, 5- day service would undercut a market advantage the U.S. Postal Service currently has over its competitors. No. 3, especially in rural America, many of our businesses and most vulnerable citizens depend on 6-day postal delivery. Newspapers, advertisers, pharmacy delivery services, and senior citizens all could be hurt by the loss of Saturday service. Last week I met with the community of Mule Creek in New Mexico. Mule Creek is small and rural. Folks there told me that they have no cell phone service, no high-speed Internet. They depend on their post office. It is the lifeline, the center of their community--and not just 5 days a week. For many working people, Saturday is the only day they can sign for packages, including for delivery of prescription drugs.…”