Congressman Stephen F. Lynch, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, U.S. Postal Service and the Census, released the following statement in response to the United State Postal Service’s announcement today on five-day mail delivery:

“I am deeply concerned by the United State Postal Service’s decision to transition to five day delivery without congressional consent.  The elimination of Saturday mail delivery will have a negative impact on thousands of businesses across the nation that are operating on a six day schedule.  This could be a damaging policy change in a fragile economy.  Clearly, the Postal Service continues to face a variety of significant fiscal challenges, from decreasing mail volume and declining revenue, to the onerous mandate that the agency prefund its retiree health benefit obligations 75 years before it is necessary.  However, I do not believe that the solution to improving the financial viability of the Postal Service will be found in a unilateral and legally-questionable move to five day delivery, but rather through the enactment of bipartisan, comprehensive, and well-reasoned postal reform legislation.”