Patty Murray: “I rise, first and foremost, to congratulate Chairman Collins and Senator Carper for getting their postal reform bill to…”

“I rise, first and foremost, to congratulate Chairman Collins and Senator Carper for getting their postal reform bill to the finish line. This bill has been a gargantuan task for both Senators. It has been a long time coming. Some have observed that it has taken over 30 years for the Congress to pass legislation that fundamentally reforms the Postal Service. This bill is critically important to the long-term fiscal health of our Postal Service. It is equally important to the well-being of all our postal workers as well as the needs of all citizens and businesses, large and small, which use our Postal Service. As both of the managers are aware, there was an important issue that threatened to derail this legislation at the last minute. Specifically, there is a provision in this final bill that has been interpreted as having the effect of transferring some $200 million in annual costs from the Postal Service to the discretionary budget.”