OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

Postal Service Reform Act of 2021

Floor Speech

Date: Feb. 8, 2022
Location: Washington, DC

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Mr. LYNCH. Madam Speaker, I thank Chair Maloney and Ranking Member Comer for the great work they have done on this bill.

As the son of a postal worker, my mom; as the brother of two postal workers, my sisters Karen and Linda; and as a nephew and cousin to about at least a dozen more, especially Pat Morris, my favorite, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3076, the Postal Service Reform Act of 2022.

This landmark reform agreement will finally place our most trusted government institution on a path toward financial viability. It is the product of bipartisan collaboration and meaningful stakeholder input. It focuses solely on fundamental reform areas that have long been the subject of bipartisan and stakeholder consensus.

To that end, H.R. 3076 repeals the onerous mandate in current law requiring the Postal Service to prefund retiree health benefits years before it is necessary.

The agreement also integrates postal retiree health benefits with Medicare to ensure that all postal workers receive the benefits that they have already paid for, a total of more than $35 billion over the last 40 years.

Moreover, this legislation codifies our support for an integrated network through which nearly 650,000 dedicated clerks, mail handlers, letter carriers, supervisors, and postmasters process and deliver mail and packages to the American people at least 6 days a week, even amid a global pandemic.

I want to acknowledge the tireless contributions of our employee partners, especially the unions, in this effort, including President Fred Rolando of the National Association of Letter Carriers, Paul Hogrogian of the National Postal Mail Handlers Union, President Ronnie Stutts of the National Rural Letter Carriers' Association, and President Mark Dimondstein of the American Postal Workers Union.

I also want to recognize Kori Blalock Keller, Jim Sauber, Paul Swartz, Katie Maddocks, Brian Young, and Judy Beard, and the irreplaceable Bob Losi, my great pal and union brother, and all their staffs for their good work.

Again, I commend Chairwoman Maloney, Ranking Member Comer, Chairman Connolly, Representative Lawrence, and our dear departed friend Elijah Cummings, who put a lot of time in on this, for their great work.

I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support H.R. 3076.

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