Senate Majority Leader Reid slams postmaster general for plan to cut Saturday delivery

A day after announcing it would cut Saturday delivery service of most mailers, letters and catalogs, the U.S. Postal Service is getting more criticism from Capitol Hill. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid today said he questions the "legality" of the decision and charged that the postmaster general has made future postal reform even more difficult.

"Given the importance of the Post Office to communities in Nevada and across our nation, such a drastic policy change cannot be enacted without approval from Congress," Reid said in a statement. "Instead, the Postmaster General relied on flawed legal guidance to claim that he can circumvent Congress' authority on the matter. The Postmaster Generals' actions have damaged his reputation with Congressional leaders and further complicates Congressional efforts to pass comprehensive postal reform legislation in the future."

• Congress up in arms over Postal Service delivery cuts
• U.S. Postal Service: Saturday letter delivery to end in August

Patrick R. Donahoe, postmaster general and CEO of the Postal Service, said yesterday that the quasi-governmental agency is in no financial position to keep Saturday service. The Postal Service must finance its own operations -- without receiving tax dollars -- but it must also follow budget mandates passed by Congress. Last year, the Postal Service reported an annual loss of a record $15.9 billion and forecast more red ink in 2013.

Reid noted that "this unfortunate scenario could have been wholly prevented if the House had passed the Senate's bipartisan postal reform bill in the last Congress."

The Senate last year managed to pass a bipartisan bill that would have required the Postal Service to take other, aggressive cost-cutting measures for two years before resorting to five-day mail delivery. Senate leaders said yesterday they would make the legislation a top priority this year.

Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., the House Minority Whip, said in his own statement today that the Postal Service's announcement "underscores the need for the House to get serious about comprehensive reform that puts the U.S. Postal Service on a long-term, fiscally sustainable path."

[stamicrach]

If the thieving government did not demand millions every year from the Post Office; they might not be in this mess.

Congress can not stand the thought they are not squeezing every penny they can from literally everybody to pay for their mistakes.

Billions and billions are still being sent to countries who are our enemies under the guise of Foreign Aid, billions authorized by Congress.

Yet, they continue to hold American cities, States, businesses and taxpayers hostage; screaming "we need more revenue" and sacrificing vital services here in the US.!!

Congress and Obama are so inept, so broken; they have not been able to agree on a budget for more than four years.

The are still stalling on the national debt crisis.

When they can clean their own closets and pay the humongous debt they created; maybe then they can start to create legislation that will help re-build the economy on the backs of privately owned businesses.

We definitely do not need any more "help" from Congress and Obama.

They have done enough damage as it is.!!

[Barry-been-inhalin]

Can't wait for government to be in charge of our healthcare.

[knsn_for_cmn_sense]

I wonder what the postmaster general makes. Probably too much.

[moretruthnow]

The Post Office is a government agency. The Post Office is only in danger because of republicans who seem to want every single thing in this country privatized. It makes no sense when the Postal service is so reliable and important to so many Americans. They need some changes that the republicans caused the Postal Service to do.

[stamicrach]

WHAT.? WHAT.?

The Post Office is not a government agency.

Reid and his ilk are those currently responsible for the crisis i the Postal Service.

Reid claims Congress will be less able to create postal service reform.

REID: Congress and Obama have managed to screw up every government agency they have stuck their bought-and-paid-for noses into.!

CONGRESS: MYOB, we already have enough crises to deal with.!!

[diddy_back_again]

Mr. Harry Reid, just shut up. You are a fiscal disaster. Your Senate has not passed a budget. Just shut up.

[ruralcarrier1]

diddy you frickin shut up, the postal sevice is a very important part of this country, and donahoe should be fired

[retmw1]

The USPS works about the same as congress, next day mail that takes two days to be delivered.

[mindbirdNEADB]

It is hard to imagine that anyone at all -- besides carping Republican critics who complain about every single thing anyway -- cares about the end of Saturday mail delivery. There is so much business done by phone and e-mail that most mail is just advertising and written confirmation of business already conducted.
They could deliver mail once or twice a week for all the difference it would make to most people.

[ruralcarrier1]

most people are not fools such as you , the postal service employees a million people in and out of the service,

[cme25]

I see absolutely nothing wrong with ending Saturday mail delivery. The Post Office receives no funding from the government and thus should not be accountable to the government for it's policies. The are essentially a business and as a business must do what it has to do to survive.