Earl Blumenauer: “today we will be considering important legislation dealing with the modernization of the Postal Service. It contains…”

“today we will be considering important legislation dealing with the modernization of the Postal Service. It contains some important provisions I have been working on since I came to Congress to make sure that the postal facilities, which are the cornerstone of a livable community, are, in fact, playing by the same rules as the rest of America. Too often the Postal Service has not played by those rules, with bad results in site location, building and remodeling. While the Postal Service has made some improvements in recent years managing these facilities, this legislation makes clear that the Postal Service will obey local land zoning, planning and environmental regulations, very important developments, playing by the same rules as the rest of America. It will hasten the day when the U.S. Government itself as the largest landlord, landowner and employer, will lead by example, and behave the way we expect the rest of Americans to behave. It will not cost any extra, but it will help make American families safer, healthier and more economically secure. ____________________”