WASHINGTON – Today, Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.), top Democrat on the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, released the following statement and urged swift action by the full Senate after a business meeting in which the committee unanimously approved the nominations of Hon. Robert Taub and Hon. Mark Acton to serve as Commissioners of the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC). The nominations will now go to the full Senate for consideration.
“We are incredibly fortunate to have individuals as talented and as qualified as Mr. Taub and Mr. Acton who are willing to be considered for these positions and dedicate themselves to public service. I’m pleased that our committee has moved to approve their nominations, but it is crucial now that the full Senate act quickly to confirm them and allow the Commission to successfully confront the significant challenges facing the Postal Service.
“Strong leadership is the key to success at any organization and, at what is a very challenging time for the Postal Service, strong leadership at the PRC and on the Postal Board of Governors is more important than ever. Mr. Taub and Mr. Acton’s confirmation will allow the Commission to get back to business and address the critical work pending before it. Their confirmation will also remove uncertainty about the future of regulatory action at the Postal Service and allow Congress to continue its work on postal reform with a clear sense of who will be implementing the reform in the coming years.
“It is important to note that there are also six Postal Board of Governors nominees pending before the full Senate, five of which have been pending for well over a year, some even since the previous Congress. At a time when the agency is in grave need of independent oversight and direction, I urge my Senate colleagues to confirm all of these nominees without delay.”