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POSTAL SERVICE REFORM ACT
Mr. PETERS. Mr. President, on Tuesday night, the Senate took a significant and historic vote to strengthen one of our Nation's oldest and most trusted institutions--the U.S. Postal Service.
For the past 15 years, this vital service that delivers to every single community in our country, no matter how remote, has faced unfair, burdensome requirements that have jeopardized its financial stability and its ability to provide reliable and timely delivery to Americans all across our country.
With 79 votes for the Postal Service Reform Act--one of the strongest bipartisan votes the Senate has delivered during this Congress--we passed significant reforms that will set the Postal Service on a more stable financial footing, preserve mail delivery for 6 days a week, and ensure greater transparency of delivery performance for the people who are counting on the Postal Service to bring them critical mail.
When our Nation's Founders enshrined the Postal Service in our Constitution, they could have never envisioned what a vital role this institution would play in the daily lives of Americans. Whether it is families who are receiving critical medications or connecting with loved ones, veterans and seniors who are relying on the mail for benefits and Social Security checks, or small businesses that are sending important financial documents and their products to customers, Americans are counting on the Postal Service to deliver. Over the past few years--especially during COVID-19--we have seen just how essential the Postal Service is to keeping our country connected.
The legislation that we passed earlier this week with overwhelming bipartisan support will help ensure that the Postal Service can continue its vital mission, and I am looking forward to seeing President Biden sign it into law.
I am proud of our bipartisan efforts to protect this vital public service, and I would like to take just a few moments to thank the many people who made this possible.
First, I want to recognize my Senate colleague on this effort, Senator Rob Portman, who is the ranking member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
I am also grateful to Chairwoman Maloney and Ranking Member Comer on the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, who worked with me hand in hand, as well as with Senator Portman, to write and to build key support for this legislation.
Senator Carper, who is a former chairman of Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and a stalwart advocate for the Postal Service, was an absolutely indispensable resource, a critical voice, and we worked together to advance this bill.
I would also like to recognize each of our Senate cosponsors: Senators Tillis, Sinema, and Burr, Chairman Wyden of the Senate Finance Committee, Senators Collins, Hassan, Daines, Rosen, Capito, Padilla, Sullivan, Manchin, Hawley, Schatz, Blunt, Rounds, Smith, Cramer, Reed, Murkowski, Chairman Sanders of the Budget Committee, and Senators Hoeven, Tester, Moran, and Kaine.
Key stakeholders like the Postal Service, our postal employee unions, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, and the countless members of the public who spoke out about what timely service meant to them also played an essential role in providing technical assistance and building support in passing this legislation.
But none of these vital reforms to protect this longstanding public service would have been possible without the dedicated and tireless work of congressional staff.
First, I would like to recognize my staff on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, who worked tirelessly to ensure this bill received bipartisan and bicameral support, as well as stakeholder support.
Thank you to Annika Christensen, Lena Chang, and Victoria Pleasant for your determined efforts to craft and build support for this consensus reform.
I would also like to thank Senator Portman's staff, Pam Theissen, Andy Dockham, Amanda Neely, and Renee Sheehy, who all played an important role in crafting and passing these reforms.
On the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, Mark Stephenson and Ethan Van Ness on Chairwoman Maloney's staff, as well as Christian Hoehner, Jake Greenberg, Daniel Ashworth, and Bill Womack on Ranking Member Comer's staff, provided valuable counsel and expertise on the legislation.
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Wyden's staff, Eva Dugoff and Sam Conchuratt, and Ranking Member Crapo's staff, Erin Dempsey, offered vital assistance to ensure the Medicare integration proposal worked effectively.
House Ways and Means Committee staff Kathryn Olson, T.J. Sutcliffe, and Elisa Walker all provided critical technical assistance.
Leader Schumer's staff provided vital expertise and guidance throughout the entire process and especially over the past few weeks as we prepared to pass this bill on the floor.
Finally, Jackie Maffucci from Senator Carper's office and Erin Bursch and Erin Schulte from Senator Sinema's office spent countless hours helping to craft and secure robust support for the bill.
These folks, along with countless others, ensured that the Postal Service would be able to keep delivering for the American people.
In recent years, it has been a rare occasion when the Senate comes together to pass this kind of bipartisan, consensus legislation with such overwhelming support to address a very, very real problem. I am grateful to every person who played a role in raising awareness--
working on this legislation--and getting it passed by both the House and the Senate.
Once signed into law, this groundbreaking, bipartisan bill will help ensure that the Postal Service can continue its nearly 250-year tradition of providing delivery to every American.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. King). The Senator from Texas.
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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 168, No. 43
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