Sen. Sanders addresses a rally against fast-tracking the TPP trade deal on April 20 in Washington DC.
APWU Calls Vote ‘Significant Development’
The Senate approved a motion on S. Con. Res. 11 introduced by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) that instructs budget conferees to insist on a deficit-neutral fund to halt mail processing center closures, restore overnight mail delivery, and protect rural services. A deficit-neutral amendment may not increase the nation’s deficit.
The non-binding instructions were approved 85-11 in a resounding bipartisan vote on April 15.
In January, the Postal Service cut service standards for the second time in less than three years, virtually eliminating overnight delivery of first-class mail nationwide and paving the way for the closure of as many as 82 mail processing plants this year.
“There is a huge concern, particularly in rural America, about the closing down of the processing centers,” said Budget Committee Chairman Michael B. Enzi (R-WY). “It takes at least an extra day to get the mail.”
APWU President Mark Dimondstein called the overwhelming bipartisan vote “a significant development.”
Forty-two Democrats, 41 Republicans and two Independents approved the measure. “This shows what a popular issue defending the people’s post office is,” he said.
“We must continue to reach out to members of Congress as we fight for positive postal reform legislation,” he added.
APWU Legislative and Political Director John Marcotte also praised the move. “Congress has the ultimate authority over postal operations,” he said. “Now that the Postal Service has committed itself to a doomed plan to slow the mail, degrade service to the American people, and lower revenues, it is crucial for Congress to exercise this authority.
“The APWU is heartened by the support of lawmakers from both parties in these budget instructions.”
In the House, 158 representatives are co-sponsors of H. Res. 54, which calls on the Postal Service to restore service standards that were in effect in July 2012. Last year, a majority of senators and 178 House members signed letters endorsing a moratorium on mail processing plant closures and opposing January’s mail slowdown.
To see how your senators voted, click here.
more games and nothing changes
Very good move to halt the ridiculousness of destroying a company from within, it definitely hasn’t made the company more efficient, and neither has quality of service improved, all that has happened is more bullying by management to make computer generated times.
Rural customers do not know where their processing center is or care where their processing center goes. Sane residential customers will be happy to have delivery every other day ~ 3 days weekly is enough!
Wow, even my two pathetic Republican Senators voted in favor of this bill. Can’t believe that, considering one is the new radical embarrassment on the block, that idiot Tom Cotton. Arkansas used to be a democrat state but with time and more people moving into the northwest which exploded in population in the 1980’s through now, with the best jobs in the state and more money per capita, the GOP has taken over, with the Fayetteville/Springdale/Rogers/Bentonville metro over half a million, putting NW Arkansas roughly the same population as the Little Rock/Conway metro, where it is still predominantly democratic, as it has many more blacks and a more depressed economy compared to NWA.
Fayetteville is the lone wolf of the four bigger cities. When my family moved down in 1973, it had about 27,000 permanent residents, with a higher student population from the University of Arkansas during the school year. Now, it has just about 80,000 permanent residents and when the students are here, it adds another 18,000 or so. That’s why Fayetteville votes Demo – better education, more tolerance, and diversity. The other cities are working class, more rural in behavior (a nice way to say redneck) and the Bible Belt rules. Springdale is the home of Ronnie Floyd, the head of the Southern Baptist cult and the Duggars. Go figure.
So it’s quite surprising to see Boozman, who is not nearly as wacky as Cotton, and Cotton himself vote for something that actually helps postal workers. It’s nice to see that once in a great while the two parties can agree on something decent for a change.
Ho-hum,it’s non-binding so Ms.Brennan and the brass will ignore this and carry on with the destruction of service.