(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa, R-Calif., and Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Ranking Member Tom Coburn M.D., R-Okla., sent a letter to leaders of both chambers of Congress supporting today’s announcement by the United States Postal Service that in August it would shift from its current delivery schedule to a six-day package, five-day mail delivery schedule. Issa and Coburn are the top Republicans on the respective House and Senate Committees with jurisdiction over USPS.
“This common-sense reform would save the Postal Service more than two billion annually,” wrote Coburn and Issa. “In his recent inaugural address, President Obama spoke about the need to find real solutions to our nation’s problems. Supporting the US Postal Service’s plan to move forward with 5-day mail delivery is one such solution worthy of bipartisan support.”
Since 1984, Congress has annually imposed an over $2 billion unfunded mandate on USPS to deliver six days a week. Coburn and Issa ask House and Senate leaders of both parties to work with them to ensure no such restriction is reintroduced when the FY2013 government funding resolution expires at the end of March.
The letter also notes that “President Obama has repeatedly called for moving to 5-day delivery of mail, most recently in his FY 2013 budget.”
You can read a copy of the letter here.