Some members of Iowa’s Congressional delegation welcomed today’s announcement by the U.S. Postal Service delaying “the closing or consolidation of any Post Office or mail processing facility until May 15, 2012.” Early reaction is after the jump, along with background on the story.
Last week the U.S. Postal Service announced plans to “move forward with its proposal to change service standards” to address a budget deficit. The cost-saving measures include closing up to 252 of the 487 mail processing facilities nationwide and changing rules “to move First-Class Mail to a 2-3 day standard for contiguous U.S. destinations.”
More than a dozen U.S. Senate Democrats, including Iowa’s Tom Harkin, signed a letter last week urging Congressional action to delay the Postal Service cutbacks.
“While we may have very different views on how to financially improve the postal service, we all believe that democratically elected members of the Senate and the House have the responsibility to make significant changes to the postal service,” the lawmakers wrote.
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.
“While some of these changes may be needed, we believe that it is very important to give Congress the opportunity to reform the postal service in a way that protects universal service while ensuring its financial viability for decades to come,” the lawmakers wrote.
Today’s statement from U.S. Postal Service made clear that Congress must enact “comprehensive postal legislation” to avoid the planned cuts:
The U.S. Postal Service, in response to a request made by multiple U.S. Senators, has agreed to delay the closing or consolidation of any Post Office or mail processing facility until May 15, 2012. The Postal Service will continue all necessary steps required for the review of these facilities during the interim period, including public input meetings.
The Postal Service hopes this period will help facilitate the enactment of comprehensive postal legislation. Given the Postal Service’s financial situation and the loss of mail volume, the Postal Service must continue to take all steps necessary to reduce costs and increase revenue.
The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.
Postal reform legislation has made it through committees in the U.S. House and Senate, but many issues have yet to be resolved, such as whether to eliminate Saturday mail delivery.
Representative Bruce Braley (IA-01) has been running against the planned post office closures since July. The new first Congressional district includes Cedar Rapids, which would lose its mail processing facility under the proposal now delayed until May. Braley’s office released this statement today:
Washington, DC – Rep. Bruce Braley (IA-01) released the following statement after the US Postal Service announced today that it was delaying the closure of any post offices or mail processing facilities until at least May 15th, 2012:
“Without question, the Postal Service needs to change to survive. But it shouldn’t build its recovery on the backs of small town Americans by closing thousands of rural post offices.
“Delaying the closure of post offices for six months will allow for additional time to review the economic impact these closures have on Iowa towns, especially their impact on jobs. This is the right move to ensure we’re not pulling the rug out from small towns that depend on their post offices.”
The Postal Service news release announcing the delay can be found at the following link: http://bit.ly/sKwPeS
For months, Braley has pressed for answers from the Postal Service on the impact of proposed closures of 178 Iowa post offices on local jobs and local economies.
In October, Braley successfully passed a bipartisan amendment to the Postal Reform Act that would require the Postal Service to report on the number of jobs that would be lost by proposed post office closures.
In July and again in September, Braley wrote Postmaster General Patrick Donohue to request figures on the projected impact of proposed closures of Iowa post offices and mail processing facilities on local jobs.
Representative Dave Loebsack (IA-02) released this statement today:
Washington, D.C. – Congressman Dave Loebsack today applauded the announcement by the United States Postal Service (USPS) that they will delay their plans for closing and consolidating any Post Office or mail processing facility until May 15, 2012. Loebsack was part of a bipartisan group of over 80 House Members who wrote to Postmaster General Patrick Donahue yesterday in opposition to the proposed closure of mail processing facilities. He has also previously written to Postmaster Donahue several times in opposition to the plan to close a disproportionate number of Iowa Post Offices.
“Closing post offices in Iowa communities would make it difficult for many residents of rural areas, particularly seniors, to access necessary postal services. That is why I have had strong concerns with the Postal Service’s proposal to close Post Offices and processing facilities since it was announced this summer,” said Loebsack. “I have urged the Postal Service to rethink the proposed closures several times, and I am pleased that Postmaster Donahue has listened to Iowans’ and my concerns.”
Loebsack wrote to the United States Postal Service (USPS) in July when they announced that they would be studying 3,700 Post Offices for closure, including 178 in Iowa. He also submitted comments, along with 81 other lawmakers, to the Postal Regulatory Commission in September stating opposition to the closings.
I haven’t seen any reaction to today’s announcement from Republican Representatives Tom Latham (IA-04) or Steve King (IA-05). Latham has kept a low profile on this issue, but King has been a vocal critic of plans to close a mail processing facility in Sioux City. Over the summer he accused postal service officials of stonewalling and trying to “run out the clock” instead of releasing information about the plans for the mail processing facility. King joined with Senators Harkin and Chuck Grassley in August to formally request a delay in the consolidation of the Sioux City facility. In September, Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe told King “told King that the quickly deteriorating financial position of the Postal Service leaves him no choice but to close Sioux City’s mail processing center.”
Some House Republicans criticized postal service leaders for allegedly caving to political pressure. King is normally a hard-liner when it comes to reducing federal spending, but no member of Congress appreciates postal service cutbacks in his own district.
I will update this post if other Iowa elected officials comment on the delay in postal service changes.
UPDATE: King’s Democratic challenger Christie Vilsack posted on her Facebook page, “The Postal Service has delayed office closings in Iowa. I truly hope that this can be worked out in a way that is more helpful to small towns.” She also linked to her campaign blog post from July 27 on the subject:
Post offices have always been a part of the fabric of small town Iowa. Many communities have lost their libraries, grocery stores and newspapers. For them, the post office remains a gathering place where folks come to get news and information. So closing local post offices isn’t just a routine cost-cutting move, it will change small-town life across rural Iowa.
That’s why yesterday’s announcement that over 100 small and rural post offices across Iowa could be in danger of closing is so troubling. While hearings have been held in some communities, U.S. Postal Service officials have been unable to explain the criteria to determine what post offices will be kept open and had no genuine dialogue with the small towns that could be affected. While the USPS faces a budget shortfall, we should try to find solutions before abandoning post offices in our small towns.
I believe USPS should be required to contact other state and local offices and area schools in the communities affected to see if there is a potential to rent space or combine operations. Unused space could offer affordable alternatives to stand-alone post offices while keeping mail service — and gathering places — for our small towns.
In Mt. Pleasant, our family law office depended on the U.S. Postal Service — and Saturday mail — to do business in a timely manner. So for me, this issue is much larger than catalogs and post cards.
But as we look to preserve small town life, we must do more than maintain the status quo — for our rural communities to succeed, we must expand high-speed Internet access to every corner of Iowa and America. Our small towns cannot thrive without being connected to the world. Connections that allow them to find new markets for their crops and products and ensure that our children grow up with the skills they need to compete in a global economy.
In the meantime, I urge the United States Postal Service to explore every available option to find cost savings without closing post offices and threatening the vitality of Iowa’s small towns.
SECOND UPDATE: Leonard Boswell’s re-election campaign highlighted this issue in a December 16 e-mail blast to constituents.
Boswell Co-Sponsors Bill to Reduce Postal Service Deficit, Preserve Jobs
Congressman Leonard Boswell meets with voters in Corning, IA (via: Flickr)
Earlier this week, the US Postal Service announced it would cease closure of post offices until May 15, 2012. This is welcome news, as thousands of rural post offices will continue operation, and even more workers will be able to keep their jobs.
Post offices are the backbone of rural communities, both nationwide and here in Iowa. They provide a valuable means of communication and support to small businesses. The closure of rural branches undermines these needs, and the legal obligation for the Postal Service to provide “a maximum degree of effective and regular” service to rural areas.
Congressman Boswell co-sponsored H.R.1351 and H.Res. 137 to address the Postal Service’s bugetary issues, while maintaining high-quality service and preserving jobs.
Read the Congressman’s press release on saving the Postal Service >>
We must continue to advocate for solutions that employ creative cost-cutting techniques, and keep post office doors open.
Get involved with our campaign to keep Congress focused on improving the lives of working Americans >>
Here’s the press release from Boswell’s Congressional office:
Boswell releases statement on USPS delaying office closures
Wednesday December 14, 2011
Des Moines, IA – Congressman Leonard Boswell (IA-3) today released a statement regarding the announcement from the United States Postal Service to delay the closure or consolidations of post offices and mail processing facilities.“This is welcomed news for rural Iowans knowing they will not be losing their community post offices until further discussions and review take place before any permanent decisions are made,” Boswell said.
In September, Congressman Boswell co-signed a letter to the Postal Regulatory Commission to prevent office closures. Boswell also co-sponsored H.Res. 137 which sought to continue 6-day mail delivery.
“I have been supporting, and will continue to support, efforts to keep the doors open to our post offices and will urge the Postal Service to be creative in their cost-saving measures rather than cutting jobs and hurting the identities of our small Iowa towns.”
Due the efforts of Congressman Boswell, fellow members of Congress and the welcomed input from concerned citizens, the Postal Service will cease closing any post offices until May 15th to allow further study and consideration on how best to proceed.