Tom Coburn

Do you think the Postal Service should prefund its workers' compensation obligations?

Senator Carper and I agree on a lot of things in this bill.

So why would not somebody who is going to send 50 greeting cards this Christmas buy a Forever stamp?

I am a big buyer of cards. When I go in a place, I buy them.

What Senator Carper and I are trying to do is to create the environment where all those factors are taken into consideration.

The Post Office has to continue to be able to trim its costs in a way that is both ethical and proper; it has to figure out how to achieve greater revenues; and, finally, the third option--which is not an option--is to have the taxpayers…

I am actually trying to get to your industry and what the revenue is the Postal Service gets off of your industry versus what it costs to deliver your mail.

This bill is all about, to give them the flexibility so that they can get the most revenue based on this wonderful asset that we have called the U.S. Post Office.

We have to make it viable. We have to make the numbers work.

S. 1486, as it stands now, is fatally flawed and we oppose it as written.

So there is no subsidy now that is achieved for that that is transferred to other mailers because we are doing this.

Do you think that actually makes a difference when I am buying a $5.99 or $4.99 card?

There is going to be more than an inflation cost because we cannot even meet the commitments that we have now.

In today's competitive world, the market will be determinative regarding postage rates.

All the more reason. If you are that integral of a part of the revenue of the Postal Service, would not cogent members of the Board be very slow to cause something that would lose them significant volume?

We vehemently oppose any changes that would interfere with the right of the postal employees and retirees to continue to participate in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program.

By statute, you cannot sell that product below your cost.

Yes, and a specific problem as far as you cannot get the case numbers, one.

Dr. Coburn said that could easily be added to the bill and I appreciate the element.

And since, as you said, the monopoly power is a hindrance now rather than an advantage, can you think of any reason why we should not have, in a bill, the ability for pricing power based on markets, competitive markets, and their…

Do you think that a Board of Governors of the Post Office is going to give a price that is going to cause them a 23 percent loss in volume in the first year of a recession?

I am committed with you to try to move this process forward.

They are penalizing the workers, men and women, of the United States Postal Service by threatening their jobs and undermining their benefits.

We need to overhaul our entitlement programs in a way that saves money, saves these programs, and does not hurt the least of these in our society.

I predicted it. When we passed the last Postal bill, I said we would be back here because we are not setting up a competitive market force.