The U.S. Postal Service announced yesterday that it will save money by reducing hours of operation at thousands of small post offices, rather than shuttering them. The changes will affect 178 Iowa post offices, listed on pages 35 through 46 of this pdf document. After the jump I’ve posted reaction from several representatives in Congress: Republican Steve King (IA-05) and Democrats Bruce Braley (IA-01), Dave Loebsack (IA-02), and Leonard Boswell (IA-03).
The Postal Service will proceed with plans to close more than 200 mail sorting facilities nationwide. Those cutbacks affected facilities in Sioux City, Carroll, and Creston, but the Postal Service decided to keep sorting operations running in Waterloo and Cedar Rapids.
Bruce Braley press release (emphasis in original):
Braley Statement on Postal Service Abandoning Plan to Close Post Offices
Announcement is “a major victory for rural Iowans”Washington, D.C. – Rep. Bruce Braley (IA-01) released the following statement today after the US Postal Service announced that it was abandoning its plan to close thousands of post offices across the county and will instead reduce service hours at as many as a third of all post offices:
“This announcement is a major victory for rural Iowans who depend on their post offices to do business and connect with the world. Post offices are a vital part of the rural Iowa economy, and we’ve worked for months to protect small town post offices from closure. I’m glad that the Postal Service has heeded our call and will keep our post offices open.
“However, I am concerned about how severe the service cutbacks will be under the new proposal. I’m going to closely evaluate its effect on post offices in Iowa.”
The Postal Service has faced severe budget shortfalls and has weighed closing thousands of post offices across the United States for the past year. In December 2011, bowing to public pressure, the US Postal Service announced a moratorium on all post office closures until May 15th, 2012.
The announcement likely means that 234 post offices in Iowa “under review” for closure will remain open. In Iowa’s First Congressional District, 22 post offices “under review” for closure will likely remain open.
Representative Dave Loebsack press release:
Washington, D.C. – Congressman Dave Loebsack released the following statement after the US Postal Service (USPS) announced that it reversed its decision to close post offices across the country, including many in rural Iowa.
“Rural areas and particularly seniors in Iowa should be pleased with today’s announcement,” said Loebsack. “I had strong concerns with the original proposal since it was first announced nearly a year ago, and I have not been shy about making them clear to the Postmaster General. The closures would have led to job loss and made it harder for rural residents and businesses to obtain services provided at local Post Offices. While I am pleased the US Postal Service heeded the public’s warning about the negative effects it would have caused, I was disappointed that this new proposal will also mean cutbacks in Post Offices’ services and hours. I will continue to monitor this situation closely.”
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.
Representative Leonard Boswell press release:
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Leonard Boswell (IA-3) released a statement today after the U.S. Postal Service announced it would abandon plans to close thousands of postal facilities across the nation, including hundreds in Iowa.
“I am pleased the Postal Service has withdrawn its plan to close offices, which would have greatly impacted rural Iowa. I have been encouraging Postal Service leaders to take a more creative approach to this issue instead of completely closing offices and I’m glad they made the right decision. I will continue to work to ensure any future cost-saving measures do not risk jobs and hurt businesses that depend on this vital service, especially in 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 and instead will reduce office hours under a new proposal.
In September, Congressman Boswell co-signed a letter to the Postal Regulatory Commission to prevent office closures. Boswell is also a co-sponsor of H.Res. 137 which seeks to continue 6-day mail delivery.
Representative Steve King press release (emphasis in original):
King Statement on USPS Proposal to Preserve Rural Post Offices
Washington, DC – Congressman Steve King released the following statement today after the United States Postal Service (USPS) announced a new initiative to allow rural post offices that had been targeted for closure to remain open. In recent months, amid looming budget shortfalls, the USPS announced plans to close thousands of small, rural post offices nationwide. Sixty-two of these post offices are located in Western Iowa. Today’s announcement comes after significant concerns were raised with the closure proposal by Congress and the public. According to today’s announcement, the USPS will curtail hours of operation at small post offices to match the average flow of daily foot traffic, rather than close the offices altogether.
“In rural America, we understand the role played by post offices in small town life,” said King. “For months, Western Iowans have been struggling with the idea that they’d lose their local post office. Since the closure plans were first announced months ago, my staff and I have been in contact with the leaders of all sixty-two affected communities in the Fifth District. I have also discussed the issue of post office closures directly with the Postmaster General, explaining that many in these small towns have suggested that the USPS could find other ways to cut costs, instead of simply closing small town post offices. It appears that this was a common theme in the feedback the USPS received about its closure proposal.”
“I will continue to work with the USPS and the Fifth District’s business and community leaders to evaluate this proposal and ensure that any changes made to the USPS’ retail and delivery network continue to serve the needs of all western Iowa.”