CONGRESSWOMAN EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON ISSUES STATEMENT ON THE MORATORIUM OF U.S. POSTAL SERVICE CLOSINGS, UNTIL MAY 15

Washington, DC – (Friday, December 16) – Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson announced that there will be a moratorium on the closing or consolidation of post offices or mail processing facilities in North Texas.  On Tuesday, fifteen U.S. Senators and the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) issued a moratorium on the closure of thousands of post offices throughout the country until May 15, 2012.  The Postal Service would like to cut costs by consolidating about 3,700 post offices, end Saturday service, and eliminate first class overnight mail.  

“While I applaud members of the Senate and USPS leadership for reaching this agreement, I do have some longstanding concerns that I have been seeking resolution on since 2009 when the first Area Mail Processing (AMP) feasibility studies were being conducted. In a series of letters to USPS and meetings with the agency’s leadership, I have been very vocal in my opposition to closing or relocating these mailing centers in my congressional district. In an economy where unemployment runs high and social mobility runs low, there could not be a worse time to close thousands of retail branches and put even more hard working Americans out of work,” stated Congresswoman Johnson.

Since 2009, Congresswoman Johnson has been actively fighting to ensure that Dallas residents, as well as the city’s large business community have access to adequate postal services. She understands that the USPS needs to cut costs to stay competitive, but wants to ensure cuts don’t hinder residents or their businesses. Congresswoman Johnson met with thousands of constituents to gather public input on the best approach to keep post offices open.  She has also kept in consistent contact with the Postmaster General on a host of issues related to access to services for the 30th Congressional District and North Texas.

Congresswoman Johnson is a co-sponsor of H.R. 1351, the USPS Pension Obligation Recalculation and Restoration Act, a bipartisan piece of legislation to help the USPS recoup nearly $7 billion in overpayments to its pension fund.

Congresswoman Johnson’s statement can be seen below:

Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson

Statement on

USPS Moratorium on Facility Closures

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December 16, 2011

     On Tuesday, December 13, fifteen U.S. Senators in conjunction with Postal Service leadership announced a verbal agreement to halt any post office closures until May 15, 2012. This moratorium is intended to give Congress the time it needs to enact comprehensive postal reform without needlessly restructuring the agency at the cost of tens of thousands of jobs. This announcement comes at a time when USPS faces a projected $14.1 billion loss in fiscal 2012 and is evaluating the possibility of closing up to 3,700 local branches and 252 mail-processing facilities. One such facility and a number of retail branches throughout the 30th District of Texas stand to be affected by these proposed changes.

  While I applaud members of the Senate and USPS leadership for reaching this agreement, I do have some longstanding concerns that I have been seeking resolution on since 2009 when the first Area Mail Processing (AMP) feasibility studies were being conducted. In a series of letters to USPS and meetings with the agency’s leadership, I have been very vocal in my opposition to closing or relocating these mailing centers. In an economy where unemployment runs high and social mobility runs low, there could not be a worse time to close thousands of retail branches and put even more hard working Americans out of work.

This agreement to delay the closures is a positive sign that Congress and the USPS are able and willing to come to a viable solution in solving the agency’s financial woes. However, at my behest, we have seen such delays before in the 30th District and yet USPS has still not developed a comprehensive plan to streamline its operations and update the agency’s role in the 21st century. I have requested more transparency and availability for public input from the agency when conducting its feasibility studies, yet that has not happened in my opinion. I have met with USPS leadership to discuss the effects these closures would have on jobs for thousands of Americans, and yet their decisions have not reflected a serious consideration of those concerns.

With this announcement, it remains apparent that the bulk of our work remains. I am eager to work with my colleagues in the Senate and USPS leadership in the coming months to find practical and cost-effective solutions to this very serious problem. Nobody is ignoring the fact that USPS mail volume has declined tremendously, however like any business the USPS must evolve with the ever-changing times and redefine itself in a dynamic and unpredictable economy. I have always and will continue to be willing to work with my colleagues to facilitate this change; however it is largely up to the USPS leadership to guide the agency into a prosperous future.

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U.S. Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson is the highest-ranking Texan on the House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure and a senior member of the Science Committee. She represents the 30th Congressional District of Texas, which, includes Downtown Dallas, Fair Park, Oak Lawn, Turtle Creek, Old East Dallas, Pleasant Grove, & South Oak Cliff; all of Balch Springs, DeSoto, Hutchins, Lancaster & Wilmer and parts of Cedar Hill, Duncanville, Ferris, Glenn Heights and Ovilla.