Armstrong Supports the Postal Service Reform Act

Statement

Today, Congressman Kelly Armstrong (R-ND) spoke on the House Floor in support of H.R. 3076, the Postal Service Reform Act of 2022. The bipartisan bill, which Armstrong is a cosponsor of, passed the House today 342-92. Below is a transcript and video of his remarks.

Video of his remarks can be found here.

"We all know the importance of the U.S. Postal Service and its core mission of prompt, reliable and efficient mail service to all Americans, regardless of where they live.

This is essential in states like North Dakota, where even the most rural postal customers rely on the USPS for the reliable delivery of everything from electric bills to essential medicine. But for too long, Congress has ignored the substantial problems plaguing the Postal Service. From declining mail volume to operational inefficiency, the Postal Service has been stuck with a business model that is not suited to meet the needs of the twenty first century.

This body has been complicit in allowing the financially independent Postal Service to die a slow death over the last fifteen years. In that time, we have seen mail volume collapse by forty percent, annual losses totaled ninety billion dollars, and the addition of more than one million new delivery points every year.

When I was on the floor debating these issues last Congress, I said the Postal Service does not need a short-term bailout, it needs serious reform. This bill begins that process. H.R. 3076 is complimentary to Postmaster General DeJoy's ten-year reform plan and his request to Congress. The bill increases accountably by requiring a public dashboard with national and local service performance data that is routinely updated. It supports the delivery of mail at least six days per week. And it requires regular reporting to Congress so we can keep on top of the Postal Service's plan and ensure the investment goals, cost savings, and revenue projects are met.

It is more important than ever to support initiatives that place the postal service on a path to financial stability and maintain its self-sufficiency.

With a current projected insolvency date of 2024, delaying postal reform today will only make future decision more difficult and more expensive. The status quo is simply not an option. I appreciate ranking member Comer and chairwoman Maloney coming together on this bipartisan bill to do the hard work of making the Postal Service more reliable and sustainable in the long term, and I urge my colleagues to support this bill."

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