Mikulski Calls on Harris, Bartlett to Push for House Passage of Postal Reform Bill Saving Maryland Mail Processing Centers

Senate Bill Passed Last Week Includes Mikulski’s Mail Service Standards Protecting Eastern Shore Mail Service and Jobs

May 1, 2012

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.) today called on Representatives Andy Harris and Roscoe Bartlett (both R-Md.) to push for House passage of the postal reform bill that will save Maryland mail processing centers.

“To ensure that the savings and reforms included in this legislation can go into effect, and the delivery standard protections be given the force of law, I urge you to work with the leadership in your chamber to quickly pass the Senate’s bill and send it to President Obama for his signature,” Senator Mikulski wrote in her letters.

The bill makes long-overdue reforms to the United States Postal Service (USPS) while maintaining delivery standards to ensure that the Easton mail processing facility on Maryland’s Eastern Shore will remain open.

Postmaster General Patrick R. Donahoe sent a letter to Senator Mikulski last week, outlining the Maryland postal facilities that would remain open, including Easton, as a result of the delivery service standards she fought for. The legislation requires the Postal Service to maintain overnight delivery standards for nearby communities that have zip codes with the same first three digits. That means that if you’re sending a letter from the Tilghman Island at the base of Dorchester County (zip code 21671) to Betterton, Maryland (21610) at the top of Kent County, that letter has to get there overnight – a service that would not be possible without the Easton AMP.

That letter follows up on a verbal commitment by the Postmaster General to Senators Mikulski and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) in a meeting last week that the Easton Mail Processing Center will remain open.

“This bipartisan action by the Senate to reform the postal service is a great victory for Maryland communities that rely on the post office and good news for Maryland jobs. It’s an important step forward for rural communities, small businesses, and vulnerable populations who rely on the postal service. This reform will help stabilize the post office and protect hundreds of Maryland postal workers from having the rug pulled out from under them,” Senator Mikulski wrote.

The full letter to Representative Harris is available here.  The full letter to Representative Bartlett is available here.