A large group of Senate Democrats is fighting to stop plans by the U.S. Postal Service to shrink its services to address its multibillion-dollar operating deficit.
The postal service announced this week it planned to close 252 mail-processing centers and cut tens of thousands of jobs.
Democrats say Congress should have a say in a government action that could ultimately lead to more than 100,000 lost jobs at a time when the unemployment rate is 8.6 percent.
A group of 18 Senate Democrats have signed a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) asking for Congress to postpone the Postal Service’s action.
They are requesting that congressional leaders add language to appropriations legislation that would prevent the Postal Service from consolidating area mail processing centers and rural post offices for the next six months.
They expressed concern the Postal Service could pre-empt Congress by closing nearly 3,700 post offices, many in rural areas, and eliminating overnight delivery for first-class mail before Congress has a chance to act on postal reform.
The postal service lost $5.1 billion during the last fiscal year, which came to a close at the end of September.
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Maybe they should get together with some of the technophobic rabbanim and ban email.
Since better than next day service is available by using email, and next day service will remain available albeit at a higher price, what’s the issue (other than closing the postal service may cost the Democrats campaign contributions from the postal workers union).
If they would start charging first class rates for the bulk mailers, including catalogs, that clutter my mailbox daily (comprising 90% of my mail), the USPS would be back in the black and we’ll saving money on recycling.