House Majority Leader Eric Cantor says “a lot of misinformation” is circulating about a GOP proposal to cut Saturday postal delivery as a way to keep the Highway Trust Fund from going broke this summer, and he plans to clarify the plan for rank-and-file House Republicans next week.
In a memo to members Friday laying out the leadership’s “June legislative agenda,” Cantor signaled that he and other Republican leaders aren’t backing down on the idea—even if it has been ridiculed by Senate Democrats, who say they are pursuing other avenues to resolve a looming highway-funding crisis.
Other parts of the Cantor memo Friday discuss plans next week for the House to take final action on its versions of the 2015 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development funding bill and the Agriculture appropriations bill. That will bring to five the number of annual spending bills finalized in the House, out of 12 that need to be completed for the next fiscal year that begins Oct. 1.
Highways
A s you may be aware, as a result of lower than anticipated revenues into the Highway Trust Fund, the Trust Fund will require an additional transfer of funds prior to the August District Work Period. Failing to provide additional funds would mean a disruption of ongoing construction projects – right in the midst of the construction season.
Under current House Rules and under recent practice, a transfer of general funds into the Highway Trust Fund must be offset. Given the limited window for action, we believe it is important that an offset be simple and have the support of the Administration and Congressional Republicans. As a memo released last week stated, we are preparing a proposal that would combine a move to modified six day postal delivery along with a short-term extension of the highway bill that places the necessary resources into the Trust Fund to prevent a disruption of highway projects. The move to eliminate the mandate for full six day postal delivery has been requested by the Obama Administration, the Postal Service, and has been included in the postal reform bill reported by Chairman Issa and the Oversight and Government Reform Committee.
We firmly believe that this is the best way to ensure continued funding of highway projects in a fiscally responsible manner that implements a needed structural reform to a growing federal liability. Unfortunately, there has been a great deal of misinformation circulated about this proposal. I look forward to discussing this with you and clarifying any outstanding questions you may have.
He won’t be saying anything anymore.. He lost to a Teabagger in the Primary… Not sure who’s worse??? lol
Congress can’t fix the country, but now their going to fix the post office with math a 10 year old knows is flawed!
Mr. Cantor seems to have forgotten past practice for
the highway fund has been to raise the federal gas tax
per gallon. Better yet slap a windfall tax on oil
companies which would make up for lost revenue. In lieu
of that the Repukes want to attempt to drain an already
financially strapped postal service. Whether it’s the
least painful to them to pursue politically for the
November elections or not you can’t rob Peter to pay Paul.
This is a bad choice on many fronts that will effect
millions of people who rely on the postal service to deliver
mail in a timely fashion not to mention hindering the services
ability to financial solvency. The pattern from the right wing
radicals who came up with this cockamamie idea continues to
focus on the postal service as a dipping pool for their own
irresponsible behavior that is behind these last minute
decisions made out of desperation.
And again it has to be mentioned, there is a sizable amount of postal employees that vote Rethuglican!
These postal workers are the lowest of the low, gladly taking a fair salary
and then stabbing the company they work for in the back by voting for a block of loonies and thieves (GOP) that want nothing more than to destroy the best postal system in the world. Again, these postal workers are the dumbest of the dumb!
The Ratpublicans lay awake every night dreaming up ways to destroy any adequate paying jobs in America ! They are so in love with their rich investors. Why don’t the Ratpublicans save time and just abolish the 13 TH amendment, and make slavery legal again. No more retirement, health care, or work place regulations. Then their business friends can hoard more MONEY! The Ratipublicans wouldn’t want to raise any user taxes. Just go after the poor and middle class people.
Just a silly little question for Canter…..If he’s in charge of the House and the House does the budget…..Why didn’t he put funds in the budget to cover the shortfall in the Highway Fund. It was no secret that income was falling and that there would be a shortfall.
Sounds like he was asleep at the switch……Man up Eric and admit ya F*****d up.
I AM SO SCARED,THIS TIME THEY MEAN IT.
OH NO,I AM SO SCARED,THIS TIME THEY REALLY MEAN IT,NO SATURDAY DELIVERY STARTING SOON,DON’T HOLD YOUR BREATH,IF YOU WANT NOTHING DONE CONGRESS CAN HELP
and he is a leader? of what? Eric’s crack house!
Cantor? What a joke.
Don’t we need to fix social security and unemployment our loving republicans.
while their at it just flat tax everyone 15% even the rich!
let the lying begin, why in the hell do you republican’s give oil companies billion’s in tax breaks, no breaks for the working families, the rich can keep their money off shore, let the poor man pay for the highway! make the republicans carry the mail for a year, they would shut the hell.
Have Congress take a 10% pay cut,15 years service before they can draw any retirement pay [rate same as other Federal employees], pay for half their Health Benefits [most have other jobs for Health Care,no need to sponge off the taxpayers],cut back on staffing. No raises till the budget is put in order.
How does moving the post office to five day delivery put money into the highway trust fund?? Republicans find very stange ways to end the postal services six day standard for mail. Still wondering where the money is coming from as we don’t receive money from anyone but the people who use our services, buy our stamps and pay for packages.??
This is the same “offset” gambit which has screwed the USPS to a wall. The last one was the prefunding of retirement healthcare offset…
Now Congress wants to do another screw job. Just a heads up to Cantor and his professional politician buddies….This Highway Fund shortfall didn’t materialize overnight. You knew about it but did nothing…..All this congress does is collect their salaries and dark money….Shame, shame,,,shame.
Translation: “I plan on making a back door, smokey room deal with my fellow congressman. They’ll vote for my plan, in exchange for a percentage of the kickbacks and bribes involved, as well as my promise to vote for their upcoming schemes.”