August 24, 1976
Page 27407
Mr. MUSKIE. Mr. President, I will vote for the legislation offered by the distinguished Senator from Wyoming (Mr. McGEE) as a reasonable approach to our postal service problem.
The Postal Service threatens to become a national embarrassment. Services have been reduced in quality and scope while rates have been increasing. People in my home State of Maine, and I am sure millions of people in rural areas across America, are understandably suspicious when the Postal Service suggests that their local post office be closed in the name of efficiency. The average postal patron is understandably upset by frequent reports of delays, destroyed parcels, and lost letters. One enterprising newspaper in Maine sponsored a contest between the Postal Service and a canoe. The letter sent by canoe arrived first.
It is clear that the present system is not working. When we acted 6 years ago to detach the Postal Service from the Federal bureaucracy, we had high hopes that the new agency could maintain the American tradition of mail service while operating an economically sound agency. We now face the fact that this approach was a failure, and we must try something new.
The bill presented by Mr. McGEE, which is supported by the Committee on Post Office and Civil Service, offers us the opportunity to examine closely just what our next step should be.
There are literally billions of dollars at stake in any decision we make on the Postal Service. But as importantly, there is a need to reemphasize a tradition of service in the mails which is as old as our Nation. These are decisions we must not make lightly, and following the course recommended in this legislation will give us all the opportunity to explore all the logical alternatives before we take action to restructure the agency.
The bill contains several crucial features during the period of the study: a moratorium on post office closings to assure our rural citizens their needs will not be abandoned; a moratorium on postal rate increases; and a requirement that door and curb line delivery be continued.
We may well conclude after careful review that the Postal Service should be reestablished as a Government agency. But we should have before us other alternatives before we take that step.
Mr. President, postal services workers, postmasters, and postmistresses from across Maine have supported the approach recommended by this amendment. I support it as well. It is the only course supported by the administration, and taking it would avoid a long struggle when action is demanded.