Issa Statement on Senate Postal Bailout

WASHINGTON—Today, House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa, R-Calif., made the following statement upon the passage of the Senate attempt at postal reform, S. 1789:

“Instead of finding savings to help the Postal Service survive, the Senate postal bill has devolved into a special interest spending binge that would actually make things worse,” said Issa. “Simultaneously harming taxpayers and the Postal Service’s shrinking customer base, the Senate bill includes a $33 billion dollar taxpayer funded bailout while increasing USPS debt by nearly $1 billion dollars.”

Issa continued: “While the Postal Service is actually trying to shutter some facilities it does not need, the Senate bill forces the Postal Service to keep over one hundred excess postal facilities open at a cost of $900 million per year. Worst of all, the Senate bill does not stop the financial collapse of USPS, but only delays it for two years, at best, when reforms will only be more painful.  The Senate’s approach is wholly unacceptable.”

The House Oversight Committee has advanced legislation that would resolve the Postal Service’s financial crisis. H.R. 2309, the Issa-Ross Postal Reform Act, would give the Postal Service the freedom to realign its network with America’s changing use of mail and mandate that USPS cut costs instead of dodging obligations to employees, retirees, or taxpayers. The House legislation directs USPS to consolidate excess facilities through a GAO-recommended process similar to the military base closure commission. Click here for more information on the Postal Reform Act.