<DOC>
[109 Senate Hearings]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access]
[DOCID: f:32352.wais]
S. Hrg. 109-924
NOMINATIONS OF HON. JAMES H. BILBRAY,
THURGOOD MARSHALL, JR., AND
HON. DAN G. BLAIR
=======================================================================
HEARING
before the
COMMITTEE ON
HOMELAND SECURITY AND GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS
UNITED STATES SENATE
ONE HUNDRED NINTH CONGRESS
SECOND SESSION
ON THE
NOMINATIONS OF HON. JAMES H. BILBRAY AND THURGOOD MARSHALL, JR. TO BE
GOVERNORS, U.S. POSTAL SERVICE, AND HON. DAN G. BLAIR TO BE CHAIRMAN,
POSTAL RATE COMMISSION
__________
NOVEMBER 14, 2006
__________
Available via http://www.access.gpo.gov/congress/senate
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Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
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COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY AND GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS
SUSAN M. COLLINS, Maine, Chairman
TED STEVENS, Alaska JOSEPH I. LIEBERMAN, Connecticut
GEORGE V. VOINOVICH, Ohio CARL LEVIN, Michigan
NORM COLEMAN, Minnesota DANIEL K. AKAKA, Hawaii
TOM COBURN, Oklahoma THOMAS R. CARPER, Delaware
LINCOLN D. CHAFEE, Rhode Island MARK DAYTON, Minnesota
ROBERT F. BENNETT, Utah FRANK LAUTENBERG, New Jersey
PETE V. DOMENICI, New Mexico MARK PRYOR, Arkansas
JOHN W. WARNER, Virginia
Brandon L. Milhorn, Staff Director
Asha A. Mathew, Counsel
Michael L. Alexander, Minority Staff Director
Kristine V. Lam, Minority Research Assistant
Trina Driessnack Tyrer, Chief Clerk
C O N T E N T S
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Opening statement:
Page
Senator Collins.............................................. 1
Prepared statement:
Senator Akaka................................................ 21
WITNESSES
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Hon. Christopher S. Bond, a U.S. Senator from the State of
Missouri....................................................... 1
Hon. James P. Moran, a Representative in Congress from the State
of Virginia.................................................... 2
Hon. Brian Bilbray, a Representative in Congress from the State
of California.................................................. 4
Hon. James H. Bilbray to be Governor, U.S. Postal Service........ 6
Thurgood Marshall, Jr. to be Governor, U.S. Postal Service....... 7
Hon. Dan G. Blair to be Chairman, Postal Rate Commission......... 7
Alphabetical List of Witnesses
Bilbray, Hon. Brian:
Testimony.................................................... 4
Bilbray, Hon. James H.:
Testimony.................................................... 6
Biographical and professional information.................... 28
Responses to pre-hearing questions........................... 33
Letter from U.S. Office of Government Ethics................. 39
Blair, Hon. Dan G.:
Testimony.................................................... 7
Prepared statement........................................... 67
Biographical and professional information.................... 68
Responses to pre-hearing questions........................... 74
Letter from U.S. Office of Government Ethics................. 87
Bond, Hon. Christopher S.:
Testimony.................................................... 1
Marshall, Thurgood, Jr.:
Testimony.................................................... 7
Prepared statement........................................... 41
Biographical and professional information.................... 44
Responses to pre-hearing questions........................... 56
Letter from U.S. Office of Government Ethics................. 65
Moran, Hon. James P.:
Testimony.................................................... 2
Prepared statement........................................... 23
APPENDIX
Hon. John M. McHugh, a Representative in Congress from the State
of New York, prepared statement................................ 22
NOMINATIONS OF HON. JAMES H. BILBRAY, THURGOOD MARSHALL, JR., AND HON.
DAN G. BLAIR
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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2006
U.S. Senate,
Committee on Homeland Security
and Governmental Affairs,
Washington, DC.
The Committee met, pursuant to notice, at 10 a.m., in room
SD-342, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Hon. Susan M. Collins,
Chairman of the Committee, presiding.
Present: Senator Collins.
OPENING STATEMENT OF CHAIRMAN COLLINS
Chairman Collins. The Committee will come to order.
This morning, the Committee is considering the nominations
of former Congressman James Bilbray and Thurgood Marshall, Jr.,
to be Governors of the U.S. Postal Service and of Dan Blair to
serve as Chairman of the Postal Rate Commission. We are also
very pleased to be joined by the distinguished Senator from
Missouri, whom I understand has an appointment that starts
right now, so I am going to defer the reading of my opening
statement and call upon Senator Bond for the purposes of an
introduction. Senator Bond.
TESTIMONY OF HON. CHRISTOPHER S. BOND, A U.S. SENATOR FROM THE
STATE OF MISSOURI
Senator Bond. Madam Chairman, with great thanks and
apologies, I have been summoned by the Leader for planning for
the appropriations process, and I do appreciate the chance to
go forward with introducing Dan Blair at his confirmation
hearing, realizing that introducing Dan Blair to this Committee
is a redundancy that is probably unnecessary, but I wanted the
chance to brag on him for just a moment and his strong Missouri
roots.
Born and raised in Joplin, Dan received both his journalism
and law degrees from the University of Missouri. His mother
lives in Joplin, and he has close family in Kansas City. His
wife, Michele, grew up in Kansas City, and in the interest of
full disclosure, his niece, Amy, is a valued assistant in my
office. So I do not come to this with a totally impartial view.
First and foremost, Dan came to work in Washington for my
very good friend, the late Congressman Gene Taylor, and Gene
brought Dan to Washington, where Dan worked for him as chief
counsel on the former Post Office and Civil Service Committee.
Dan eventually became staff director, and in that job he worked
on postal reform, which you, Madam Chairman, your Committee,
and I have worked so hard to move forward.
Dan's appearance today is a homecoming of sorts since he
served admirably as former Senator Fred Thompson's senior
counsel on the Committee for 4 years until the President wisely
tapped Dan as part of his first-string line-up in 2001. And he
has been with the Administration since that time as Deputy
Director of Office of Personnel Management, and he served as
OPM's Acting Director for 5 months last year.
He is a well-known friend of the Committee, and when
confirmed, I know he will bring to his new job a wealth of
experience, having helped shape postal policy issues during
most of his career. I cannot imagine a more qualified and
competent appointee. I applaud his nomination, and I strongly
endorse the appointment and hope the Committee and the Senate
will act swiftly to approve this nomination.
Thank you very much for hearing me, and thank you for your
courtesies.
Chairman Collins. Thank you, Senator.
I am going to excuse Senator Bond now. I know he does need
to leave, but I want to tell him that his strong endorsement of
Mr. Blair means a great deal to this Committee. So thank you
for being here.
I would like to extend to our two Members from the House of
Representatives the opportunity also to proceed now since I
know that you, too, have very busy schedules. And I will
confess that my staff has not advised me as to who has
seniority in the House, but I assume that it is Representative
Moran, so I am going to call on him next. Thank you.
TESTIMONY OF HON. JAMES P. MORAN,\1\ A REPRESENTATIVE IN
CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF VIRGINIA
Mr. Moran. Thank you, Senator. Actually, I think Jim
Bilbray has seniority.
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\1\ The prepared statement of Mr. Moran appears in the Appendix on
page 23.
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Chairman Collins. Good point.
Mr. Moran. I do appreciate the opportunity to be before
you, Madam Chairman, and I am particularly pleased to present
Thurgood Marshall, Jr., to the Committee and to speak in
support of his nomination to the Board of Governors of the U.S.
Postal Service.
I have over 1,400 people in my congressional district that
work in Postal Service facilities and, of course, have been
very much pleased to be able to work with the Postal Service
and its private sector counterparts throughout my career. So
that is one of the reasons I am particularly excited about Mr.
Marshall going on the Board.
After moving to Virginia from New York City, the Marshall
family has lived in my congressional district for over 30
years, and the nominee before you this morning and his two
teen-aged sons have been constituents for most of those years.
Mr. Marshall is a Northern Virginian, and we take pride in
that. We first crossed paths when I was a freshman Member of
the House and he was Director of Congressional Affairs for Vice
President Gore. And in that position, he managed a team of
congressional affairs specialists and made himself available to
members on both sides of the aisle. He was superb in working in
a bipartisan manner to achieve constructive legislative
accomplishments.
He is a quick study, an honest broker, and an intelligent
and persuasive advocate. He used to be on Speaker Carl Albert's
staff and served on the staff of three different Senate
committees. When he was working for the White House, Mr.
Marshall was sensitive to the concerns that face all of the
House and Senate Members on legislative issues, and even when
there was not complete agreement, he would do everything he
could to be responsive to our concerns. So he is a consummate
professional.
Prior to his White House service, Mr. Marshall's experience
included time spent on the staff of this Committee. That
brought him in contact with many of the individuals and
interest groups that regularly interact with the Postal Service
Board of Governors, and he remained in contact with those
groups and individuals over the years.
I have no doubt that Mr. Marshall's door is always going to
be open to the stakeholders in the Postal Service if he is
confirmed to the Board of Governors. And I know that his
commitment to working in a bipartisan manner will serve the
Board very well. Of course, he comes with valuable experience
on a number of boards of directors. I am confident that as a
member of the Board of Governors Mr. Marshall will not delve
into areas that are the responsibilities of Postmaster Potter
and the U.S. Postal Service management team, which I know is a
concern that you do not want people on the Board micromanaging,
and Mr. Marshall fully understands that.
His prior membership on other boards of directors has given
him important experience with issues, though, that involve
organizational ethics and compliance, performance measures and
accountability, personnel management, and government
contracting. And that will serve him very well in terms of his
oversight responsibilities.
One final note, Madam Chairman, is to a personal tie that
Mr. Marshall has to the Postal Service. His grandfather decades
ago was a postman and sorted mail in Hawaii, on the island of
Maui. So he has a personal connection, and for all these
reasons, Madam Chairman, I believe that Thurgood Marshall, Jr.,
is extremely well qualified to become a member of the Board of
Governors of the Postal Service and, if appointed, will serve
the Board and the Postal Service with great distinction. So I
do urge the Committee to give his nomination favorable
consideration.
Chairman Collins. Thank you very much, Congressman. We very
much appreciate your strong endorsement of the nominee and your
taking the time to be with us this morning to present him.
Mr. Moran. It was my pleasure. Thank you.
Chairman Collins. Thank you.
Congressman Bilbray, you have a familiar last name. It
sounds quite similar to that of the nominee, and we are very
pleased to welcome you as well.
TESTIMONY OF HON. BRIAN BILBRAY, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS
FROM THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA
Mr. Bilbray. Thank you, Madam Chairman.
Madam Chairman, it is an honor to appear before your
Committee to support the nomination of my cousin, James
Bilbray, to the Board of Governors of the U.S. Postal Service.
James' public service goes way back in many fields. He served
in the Nevada National Guard, and actually his first elected
position, a lot of people do not know, was as a regent for
UNLV, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, otherwise known as the
notorious ``Running Rebels.'' And being a graduate from that
school and one of the first classes from that school, James was
very proud to go back as an elected representative in that
university, that college.
Let me just say he served in a post as the Deputy District
Attorney for Clark County, the Las Vegas area, and was chief
legal counsel to the juvenile court. That is probably why he
has done so well working with Members of Congress. [Laughter.]
He also was an alternate judge--there goes your nomination,
Cousin.
Chairman Collins. A dangerous comment. [Laughter.]
Mr. Bilbray. He also was an alternate judge for the City of
Las Vegas. He served since 1986 in the House of Representatives
until a period when I was able to relieve him for a short
period of time, and he is very well respected across the
political spectrum, Madam Chairman. I think that if you talk to
anyone who has served with him and has had the pleasure of
serving with him, even those of us who have had the pleasure of
being relatives, you will recognize that his performance in the
past has proven that he is willing to work with everybody and
anyone if their intentions are well and good.
He is respected through those political spectrums, and I
hope that you will consider him for the nomination and give him
the consideration he deserves, even if he is a Bilbray.
[Laughter.]
Mr. James Bilbray. And a Democrat.
Mr. Mr. Bilbray. Thank you.
Chairman Collins. Thank you very much, Congressman. It is
evident that public service runs very deep in the Bilbray
family, and we are very pleased that you would take the time to
be here today.
I know that you, too, have a busy schedule, so I am happy
to excuse you at this time.
Mr. Bilbray. Thank you, Madam Chairman.
Chairman Collins. Thank you. I am now going to resume
reading my opening statement, which I know you have all been
waiting for while we diverted for these introductions.
The Board of Governors of the U.S. Postal Service works in
many ways like the board of directors of a large corporation.
The Board selects the Postmaster General and together they
direct the Postal Service, controlling its expenditures,
conducting long-range planning, and setting policies on all
postal matters. The Board's primary obligation is
representation of the public interest. Fulfilling that
obligation is a significant responsibility as the Postal
Service faces increasingly complex policy choices.
James Bilbray currently serves as a member of the Board of
Governors. He was nominated on August 1, 2006, to fill the
remainder of a term on the Board that will expire on December 8
of this year. At the same time, the President also nominated
Mr. Bilbray for an additional 9-year term, expiring December 8,
2015.
Mr. Bilbray has significant experience serving the public
interest, as we have already heard from his cousin. I do want
to add, in addition to his service as a representative of the
people of Nevada, that he has held various other positions. I
first got to know the Congressman when he served in 2005 as a
member of the BRAC Commission. This is tough duty indeed, and I
found him to be extraordinarily fair-minded as he weighed all
of the testimony and the evidence that was brought before the
Commission. And I very much appreciated the seriousness with
which he approached that important task that had such
consequences for communities across the United States.
Thurgood Marshall, Jr., as we have heard, is a practicing
attorney, and he is a partner with Bingham Consulting Group.
Mr. Marshall also has a long history of public service from his
work as a staff member on committees here in the Senate, to his
service as an assistant to President Clinton. I also want to
point out that he serves as a member of the Board of Directors
for Corrections Corporation of America. I point this out
because this is a very large entity. This business is
responsible for some 15,000 professionals nationwide, and I
think that experience as a director on a board of a large
employer will prove invaluable as the Postal Service faces
challenges in its workforce composition.
The third nominee, Dan Blair, is no stranger to this
Committee. We have worked very closely with him over the years.
Senator Bond talked about his experience and background on this
very Committee. I would note that he also served on the House
Subcommittee on Postal Service, and he has done yeoman's work
at OPM as well.
The Postal Rate Commission is an independent regulatory
agency. Its five commissioners review the requests from the
Postal Service for new domestic mail rates, fees, and
classifications. It reviews these requests in public
proceedings and then makes recommendations to the Board of
Governors. I would also note that the Commission has the
authority to propose changes in mail classifications and to
investigate certain nationally significant complaints of postal
customers concerning rates, fees, classifications, and
services.
The Commission issues advisory opinions in response to
requests from the Postal Service to change its services in any
substantial way, and the Commission hears appeals from postal
customers concerning decisions to close or consolidate retail
Post Offices. For those of us who represent rural States where
this is often an issue, that is indeed an important
responsibility of the Commission.
The President has nominated Mr. Blair to become the
Chairman of the Postal Rate Commission for a 6-year term that
would expire in October 2012.
Again, I think that the Members of this Committee know full
well how absolutely vital the U.S. Postal Service is to our
society and to our economy. Currently, the fiscal status and
the prospects of further declines in First-Class mail volume
threaten the national commitment to affordable universal
service, a commitment that I share with the Board of Governors
and with the Commission members. These nominees appear to
possess the knowledge, the experience, and the talent that are
required to deal with the considerable challenges that lie
ahead for the Postal Service, so I welcome them to the
Committee and I look forward to hearing their views this
morning.
I would note that each nominee has already filed responses
to a biographical and financial questionnaire and has answered
pre-hearing questions submitted by the Committee. They have had
their financial statements reviewed by the Office of Government
Ethics. Without objection, this information will be made part
of the hearing record, with the exception of the financial
data, which are on file and available for public inspection in
the Committee offices.
Our Committee rules require that all nominees give their
testimony under oath, so I would ask that you each stand so I
can administer the oath. Do you swear that the testimony you
are about to give to the Committee will be the truth, the whole
truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you, God?
Mr. Bilbray. I do.
Mr. Marshall. I do.
Mr. Blair. I do.
Chairman Collins. Please be seated.
I would now like to invite the nominees to introduce any
family members that they have with them. We have already met
the cousin of Congressman Bilbray. It is my understanding, Mr.
Blair, that you do have some family members present, so I would
invite you to introduce them.
Mr. Blair. I have with me today my wife, Michele Blair, and
my niece, Amy Blair, and a number of friends in the audience as
well.
Chairman Collins. Great. We thank you very much for being
here today and for your family's commitment to public service.
I think those are the only family members present, so we
will now proceed with statements, and we are going to start
with Congressman Bilbray.
TESTIMONY OF HON. JAMES H. BILBRAY, TO BE GOVERNOR, U.S. POSTAL
SERVICE
Mr. Bilbray. Madam Chairman, I really don't have an opening
statement except to thank the Committee for working with me
through this process and the fact that I believe that, having
served in Congress, being part of this wonderful institution--
which I guess when you look at what the public thinks about
Congress, it is a little different than they do. But having
served here and worked with such wonderful people on both sides
of the aisle and in both Houses of Congress, I know that this
is a great institution and one that has served this country
well.
I think I can bring a balance and maybe a working
relationship with the committees on both sides of the aisle and
both Houses. I know there has been misunderstanding over the
years between this group. And I think part of it I would like
to mention in my opening statement is the fact that I remember
I served on the Advisory Board of the Ex-Im Bank, and the Ex-Im
Board of Governors--which are full-time, by the way--they felt
that they could not come down to the Hill and really discuss
these issues because they thought they were crossing the
threshold on lobbying. I think that if we could work together
maybe between the Committee and the members of the Board of
Governors, we can get past this gray area where the Board of
Governors can have more input and when things begin, not at the
end of a particular process so there is no feeling, well, why
didn't you come forward at an earlier time and talk to us and
tell us what your concerns were.
So I am hoping, almost like a liaison situation, where
hopefully myself and others can work closer with the Committee
so that we do not get to a position where we have
misunderstandings on where the Board of Governors stands or
individual members of the Board of Governors stand and the
Committee.
So I am hoping that, like I say, as a former member that I
can bring something to this Board of Governors that can reach
out to both the Senate and the House committees to work
together to have a more efficient U.S. Postal System.
Chairman Collins. Thank you very much. Mr. Marshall.
TESTIMONY OF THURGOOD MARSHALL, JR.,\1\ TO BE GOVERNOR, U.S.
POSTAL SERVICE
Mr. Marshall. Thank you, Madam Chairman. I am honored to
have been nominated by President Bush on the recommendation of
Senator Harry Reid, and I am honored to appear before the
Committee this morning. I am also deeply grateful to my
Congressman, Jim Moran, for his kind words and for taking the
time to join us this morning to introduce me.
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\1\ The prepared statement of Mr. Marshall appears in the Appendix
on page 41.
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It is a special pleasure to appear before you under these
circumstances because, as Congressman Moran mentioned, I have
an important personal family connection to the Postal Service,
and I have always had great respect for the Postal Service and
for its employees. Indeed, the opportunity to work on postal
issues during my tenure working at this Committee was one that
I savored.
While I was working at this Committee, I also learned the
value of dispensing with formal statements, so I would ask that
my full statement be included in the record, and I look forward
to your questions.
Chairman Collins. Without objection. Mr. Blair.
TESTIMONY OF HON. DAN G. BLAIR,\2\ TO BE CHAIRMAN, POSTAL RATE
COMMISSION
Mr. Blair. Thank you, Madam Chairman. I want to thank you
for conducting this hearing today. I appreciate the many
courtesies that you and your staff and Senator Akaka's staff
and Senator Lieberman's staff have extended to me during this
process. I also want to thank Senator Bond for introducing me
today as well and reminding me of my strong Missouri roots.
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\2\ The prepared statement of Mr. Blair appears in the Appendix on
page 67.
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I am extremely honored that President Bush would again
nominate me for a position of public trust, and I greatly thank
him for the confidence he has shown in me. Chairing the
independent Postal Rate Commission is indeed a great privilege,
and it is one that I undertake with great pride, should I be
confirmed.
I approach this assignment with a tremendous sense of
respect and welcome the Committee's support for the well-
recognized independence and integrity that the Commission has,
and I also note that the Commission has done yeoman's work over
the past few years making recommendations on the introduction
of new postal products. I hope to continue that tradition.
The current Chairman, George Omas, has done a good job in
reaching out to the postal community and the Board of
Governors. I plan to build on these efforts, and I look forward
to working with him and my fellow commissioners as well.
I have a longer statement that I would ask be included for
the record, but, again, I greatly appreciate you giving me this
opportunity to testify today, and I am pleased I was able to
appear on this panel with nominees Goody Marshall and Jim
Bilbray.
Thank you very much.
Chairman Collins. Without objection, your full statement
will be included in the record.
I am going to begin my questioning with standard questions
that we ask of all nominees.
First, is there anything you are aware of in your
background which might present a conflict of interest with the
duties of the office to which you have been nominated? Mr.
Bilbray.
Mr. Bilbray. Madam Chairman, I don't know of anything. I
served in the Postal Clerks Union when I was in college for 3
months, but other than that, I don't know of any potential
conflict I might have. [Laughter.]
Chairman Collins. Mr. Marshall.
Mr. Marshall. No, Madam Chairman, I am not aware of any
conflicts, and my office has established a process to help
track that in the future.
Chairman Collins. Mr. Blair.
Mr. Blair. No, Madam Chairman. I did do an ethics letter
for the designated agency ethics official, which the Committee
has on file, and I would recluse myself from any potential
conflicts.
Chairman Collins. Second, do you know of anything, personal
or otherwise, that would in any way prevent you from fully and
honorably discharging the responsibilities of this office? Mr.
Bilbray.
Mr. Bilbray. I don't know of any.
Chairman Collins. Mr. Marshall.
Mr. Marshall. I know of nothing.
Chairman Collins. Mr. Blair.
Mr. Blair. No, Madam Chairman.
Chairman Collins. And, third, do you agree without
reservation to respond to any reasonable summons to appear and
testify before any duly constituted committee of Congress if
you are confirmed? Mr. Bilbray.
Mr. Bilbray. I have no hesitation, even if it is
unreasonable. [Laughter.]
Chairman Collins. Mr. Marshall.
Mr. Marshall. I have no hesitation either.
Chairman Collins. Mr. Blair.
Mr. Blair. None whatsoever.
Chairman Collins. Thank you.
I am now going to begin the non-standard questions. All of
you have served on Capitol Hill for a number of years, and I
have to tell you that I think that is a tremendous advantage. I
mentioned to Mr. Marshall earlier--and I have talked to
Congressman Bilbray--that there has been tension between the
Board of Governors and this Committee, tension that I think
could have been avoided by earlier and more frequent
communication. I am pleased to hear your comments, Congressman,
that this is one of your goals.
I would like to hear from all three of you how you think
the Postal Board of Governors in particular, but also the
Commission, when appropriate--obviously, the Commission is an
independent regulatory agency and has a different role, a more
constrained role in terms of communications. But I would like
to hear each of you address the issue of understanding the
congressional role in establishing overall postal policy and
the laws under which you operate. Mr. Bilbray.
Mr. Bilbray. Well, I think it is generally accepted, the
fact that the Legislative Branch certainly has oversight and
helps establish policy for the Board of Governors. In fact, one
of the things that I have recommended to the Chairman--and I
also did to other Members that I spoke to last week--was the
fact I thought we should establish a subcommittee that is just
basically aimed at working with the Congress. I think, and no
question in my mind, that the general policy of where the
Postal Service goes in the future, the Congress is the one that
sets that policy, and then we carry it out. That may be
different than some of my colleagues' feelings, but that is
mine.
Chairman Collins. Mr. Marshall.
Mr. Marshall. Well, I certainly have great respect for the
role that the Legislative Branch plays with regard to oversight
and policy. I also think that my experience working in and
around Capitol Hill can be a valuable asset to the Board. It
has taught me the important role that politics can play in the
policymaking process. It has taught me the value of taking into
account constituent needs. And also it has taught me the value
of polling, messaging, and customer surveys in that process.
Chairman Collins. Thank you. Mr. Blair.
Mr. Blair. Well, Madam Chairman, I appreciate the role that
you see the Commission playing, and I approach this from the
perspective that clear, open, and regular communications
between the regulator and the Congress is essential if the
regulator is going to accomplish the role that you expect of
it.
Having come from Capitol Hill, you understand that the
Commission implements the policy that the policymakers enact,
and understanding the congressional intent in specific areas,
understanding congressional concerns certainly go far in
helping the regulator effectively perform its role.
Chairman Collins. Mr. Blair, in your roles as both the
Deputy and the Acting Director of OPM, you have testified
before this Committee twice on the subject of postal reform,
and both times you presented the Administration's case very
strongly for making the Postal Service the sole agency that
would be responsible in the Federal Government for
retroactively assuming the responsibility for the Civil Service
Retirement System pension costs related to its employees'
military service. I am sure that you remember that testimony,
perhaps not fondly. [Laughter.]
After 3 years of extensive debate on this issue, in July,
as part of an extraordinary effort to advance postal reform,
the Administration, to its great credit, agreed to revise its
position on that issue and that the entire military pension
obligation should indeed be returned to the Department of the
Treasury, as I had long advocated and as Senator Carper had
long advocated.
To what extent, if any, were you involved in the
Administration's final decision on this issue?
Mr. Blair. Well, I think that there were internal
discussions going on at all points during the process, but I
believe that it was important for the Administration in
reviewing the overall package of postal reform to determine
that, in order to move it forward some parties would have to
give, some parties would have to take. And at that juncture, it
was most important that the budgetary hit be minimized as much
as possible.
Recognizing that the Administration took a very strong
position on that end, I think it is to the Administration's
credit in pushing forward the postal reform debate that we saw
an effort to compromise in order to move the bill forward, and
that the Administration wants to see comprehensive postal
reform enacted.
Chairman Collins. And as I said, I really credit the
Administration with continuing to work with us. I have had
numerous meetings with White House officials, and I am really
pleased that those meetings have been so constructive and
produced such good results. Unfortunately, despite 3\1/2\ years
of work by Senator Carper and myself, success in crossing the
finish line has proven far more elusive than we ever would have
imagined.
If, however, as we hope, postal reform is enacted before
the end of the year, the Commission will have a very heavy
agenda for 2007. You will be charged with implementing an
entirely new ratemaking process while deliberating on a pending
rate case during the first quarter of the year.
As the new Chairman, how would you prepare yourself to deal
with that very heavy agenda?
Mr. Blair. It is a heavy agenda, and it is one that the
current Commission has been contemplating and working on. I
understand that there have been working groups formed at the
Commission. But I want to make sure that, if confirmed, once I
go down there to properly analyze and explore to what extent
the resources are available to carry out this mission, to make
sure that we have those in place because the Commission is
going to undertake a tremendous new role and will want to make
sure that we meet the congressional intent in assuming those
responsibilities.
I have no doubt in my mind that we can undertake it. Ever
since the process of postal reform first began, it was
contemplated that in giving great new flexibilities to the
Postal Service, Congress would also have to balance those with
an empowered new regulator. And I think that Congress is doing
the right thing in proposing that in its legislation, and I am
ready, if confirmed, to tackle those new problems. And I would
look forward to it.
Chairman Collins. Do you believe that the Commission at
present is adequately staffed and has sufficient resources to
take on these new responsibilities?
Mr. Blair. I would have to get down there to look at the
staffing levels and determine if we have the right mix of
skills available down there, if we have the right people with
the right kind of talent. So I want to reserve judgment before
I get down there, but I think given the new role for the
Commission, it certainly envisions a more robust entity than
what it is now, given that its new responsibilities are going
to be much greater. And I think that going into that with my
eyes wide open and realizing where Congress wants it to go
would be a great benefit.
Chairman Collins. Mr. Bilbray and Mr. Marshall, the
Collins-Carper postal reform bill is designed to foster more
efficient postal operations by giving the Postal Service much
more flexibility than it has now to set its own prices and to
implement revised operating procedures. For market-dominant
products, the average increase for each class of mail would be
capped at the level of the CPI. A key assumption is that the
level of services provided by the Postal Service will remain
sufficient to meet the personal and business needs of the
public. A major concern of mailers is that when the Postal
Service projects that its costs are likely to increase faster
than inflation during some period of time, it might decide to
balance its budget by cutting services instead of by
implementing more efficient operating practices. Our bill
attempts to avoid that undesirable outcome by requiring the
Postal Service, in consultation with the Postal Rate
Commission, to develop and define service standards.
Do you agree with the recommendation, the provisions in
this bill, that the Postal Service should establish service
standards, performance goals, and report those on a regular
basis on the Postal Service's website so that your customers,
the Congress, and all interested parties can monitor the Postal
Service's performance? Mr. Bilbray.
Mr. Bilbray. Having served on the Board now for 3 months--
this is my second meeting, actually, after being confirmed,
this has been discussed, and I didn't see and didn't feel a lot
of opposition, and I didn't feel opposition to this particular
point.
One point, Madam Chairman, that I think was a concern is
the cap--not the cap on the inflationary rate, but for each
class. I know that the discussion has been that we--and I have
asked for an opinion or an analysis of all classes, are they
carrying their own load. And there is a feeling that there may
be some classes within the Post Office that are maybe even
losing money and that, if we cap that at the CPI, maybe the CPI
should be across the whole board. In other words, the entire
raise cannot be more than the CPI. But there might be some sub-
classes within the overall Post Office that might have to be
raised higher to bring them equal.
An example of that is--and I have not got the figures yet
because it has not been provided to me yet--newspapers and
magazines, that there is some feeling within the Administration
of the Post Office that may be losing money and that we would
never be able to catch up if each class is capped with the CPI.
I have not seen the figures yet, so I don't know if that is
correct or not. But those are the kind of things that are of
concern. But reporting to Congress and reporting to the public
what we are doing in each area is not an objection of mine, and
I think the public right to know is more important than the
privacy of the system.
Chairman Collins. Mr. Marshall, what are your views on the
idea of having service standards that would be published and
available to the public?
Mr. Marshall. I believe the Postal Service should provide
customers with useful and timely data regarding service
standards and guidance as to whether those standards have been
met. I understand that the Postal Service is responsive to the
Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA), and I would
expect the Board of Governors to play a role in matching those
standards, consistent with the GPRA process, and applying those
standards to postal management and postal practices.
I recall that during President Clinton's Reinventing
Government Initiative there were only three agencies that first
stepped to the plate and offered to make performance standards
public, and the Postal Service was one of those three agencies.
And I think that speaks well to its willingness to make those
standards available to the public in a timely manner.
Chairman Collins. I want to turn to the issue of labor
relations. This has been a longstanding postal issue, the need
to improve labor-management relations within the Postal
Service. Obviously, if anyone looks at the Postal Service, you
see that a great deal of the costs are personnel related. You
would expect that given the mission of the Postal Service.
Congressman Bilbray, I am actually happy to learn that you
were a member of the postal union when you were in college for
a short time because maybe you will bring some extra
credibility to dealing with that issue. But is there anything
in particular that you think the Postal Service should be doing
to encourage and facilitate greater cooperation between postal
managers and the postal unions? Mr. Bilbray.
Mr. Bilbray. I have not--and, of course, I have talked to
members, the heads of the different postal unions, the
Postmaster General, his assistant. I was not aware that there
is really any problem right now. They seem to like each other.
The Postmaster General comes out of the system. He is not a
newcomer into it. But, again, I have only been there for one
meeting, the last meeting, and have not had time since I have
been on the Board to really sit down and discuss this issue
with members of the union as well as the Postmaster, except the
fact they are just beginning, I guess, negotiations starting
next week, and I think we will get a good feeling of how those
negotiations are going. But I think good relations with labor--
and I have always had a good relationship, even as a
Congressman, with labor. And I really think that they are the
backbone of our business. And so I feel a happy postman is a
good postman. So I am hoping that improves.
Chairman Collins. Also, having dealt extensively not only
with the unions but the Postmasters' associations, there is a
lot of expertise there. There is a lot of wisdom in these
groups, and I think most--not all, but most of the leaders of
those groups recognize that the stakes are very high and they
want the Postal Service to be a strong, economically viable
institution that can continue to serve our country for
centuries into the future.
So I think the more outreach that can be done, the better.
I realize it is difficult during labor negotiations, perhaps,
to have those kinds of discussions, but that is something I
would urge.
Mr. Marshall.
Mr. Marshall. Well, as with any longstanding institutional
relationship, particularly one with such a long and storied
history, I suspect that in this instance an additional set of
eyes and ears, particularly those of an independent member of
the Board of Governors, can be valuable. And so I would hope
that those of us who have an opportunity to serve on the Board
of Governors will be able to help to encourage a cooperative
spirit and to provide guidance, taking into account what we are
able to pick up through those independent eyes and ears.
Chairman Collins. I think there is still work to be done in
this area, and as evidence of that, I would share a personal
experience where the Maine congressional delegation was
recently invited to the opening of a new postal facility in
southern Maine. We arrived to find an informational picket in
place where members of the Postal Workers Union were picketing
over what they felt were unfair schedule changes, adverse
working conditions, and some safety concerns.
Needless to say, that took the celebration out of what was
supposed to be the celebration of a state-of-the-art new
facility, and the members of the delegation, including myself,
decided not to participate.
I felt bad that those issues could not have been worked
through earlier and that there was not better communication
between the local managers and the union representatives. But
as I will share with you, I have found that, for the most part,
all of the various associations, whether it is the postal
supervisors or the postmasters or the various--the Mail
Handlers Union, the rural letter carriers, the letter
carriers--I am undoubtedly forgetting one, but there are so
many of them, and for the most part--there are always
exceptions, but for the most part, they really care about
sustaining the Postal Service for the future and working
together, and they understand the need for legislation as well.
One of the major challenges is, of course, the decline in
First-Class mail volume. This is a dangerous decline given how
important First-Class mail is to support the institutional
costs of the Postal Service, and, unfortunately, we see the
Postal Service in a continuing decline as people turn more and
more to the Internet for bill paying and for other services.
Declining First-Class mail volume reduces the revenue
available to pay for institutional costs and places upward
pressure on postal rates, which in turn leads to further
reductions in First-Class mail volume.
I think this needs to be a primary focus of the Board, and
I realize you are both just getting into these issues. But, Mr.
Bilbray, we will start with you since you are on the Board,
albeit a new member. Are there ways that the Postal Service can
reduce this very disturbing trend?
Mr. Bilbray. Well, I think there are a couple. One is we
are looking at new businesses within the purview of the postal
system. The Postmaster General has said at the last meeting
that we really have not done the job on international mail that
we should. International mail could be a real profit center for
the Post Office, and I think if we adjust it as we go along and
find other areas within the job description of the postal
system that we can help by bringing revenue up there, it would
take the pressure off First-Class mail. Because I agree with
you, I think First-Class mail is not only--I just do not see
any increase in the percentage of it. I think it is going to go
down. And, again, the worst thing when you are out--I mean,
everybody that knows I am on the Board of Governors now, the
first thing anybody says to me, ``Don't increase my First-Class
mail.'' They don't call it ``First-Class,'' but I know what
they mean when they say ``mail.'' And I tell them about the
proposal of forever stamps. Maybe this kind of pacifies them a
little bit. But it is a sore spot with the general public, and
we know that, and it causes more decrease.
The other thing is, of course, more efficiency, and a lot
of it is done through automation, and some of the new
automation programs really--we have reduced--the Post Office
has reduced over 100,000 employees over the last 10 years with
more efficient systems. There is not a lot more to give, but
there will be more that will go down unfortunately, and I don't
think any postman or clerk or mail handler will ever be
replaced at this point, but they will be replaced by attrition,
and we get the cost of the service down.
But, again, new products like an increase in international
mail, people kind of look to the Post Office, and they go with
FedEx or DHL, and they go with these other companies because
they think that they can have a better delivery system, get it
there faster.
We are cheaper. We can do it as well as they can. And as
people become aware of this, I think we can increase our
revenues for the Post Office and keep the costs down, and
hopefully we won't have continually this spiral of First-Class
mail, which is, again, as you increase the price, you reduce
the volume and it keeps going down.
So I think that I am very impressed with the Administration
of the Post Office itself, the Postmaster, his assistants, and
the people around him. And they are very innovative, and I
think that we are going to have to work on this over the years
to keep the price down. And hopefully when I tell people, the
Postal Commission, those dirty guys over there, they are going
to raise it to 42 cents, it is not us, it is them.
Mr. Blair. Thank you. [Laughter.]
Mr. Bilbray. They really get a little excited about it.
Let's put it that way.
Chairman Collins. Thank you. Mr. Marshall.
Mr. Marshall. Madam Chairman, I believe that the bottom
line is that the decline in First-Class mail volume absolutely
needs to be addressed, not solely because a huge portion of the
Postal Service's institutional costs are offset by First-Class
mail, but also because high-quality First-Class mail service
has been a hallmark of the Postal Service and has been a
significant reason that the Postal Service has engendered such
confidence from our citizens.
We are all acutely aware that the challenge is made all the
more difficult by the national security challenges that the
country faces, and as I stated in my prepared remarks, I would
hope that the Postal Service can receive budgetary assistance
on security issues, particularly research and development
regarding the bioterror threat and related threats.
Chairman Collins. Thank you.
All three of you answered some questions in the pre-hearing
questionnaire about Post Office closings. One area that is of
particular interest to the general public and to the Congress
is the transparency of those issues. Do you feel that it is
appropriate for the Postal Service to be as transparent as can
be about which Post Offices and postal facilities it plans to
close and the reasons for closing them? Do you also feel that
it is appropriate for the Postal Service to develop and publish
standards that it plans to use to determine which facilities to
close? Mr. Blair.
Mr. Blair. I have never heard a good argument against
transparency. I think it is always important for a government
institution to be as transparent as possible so that the public
has a right to know and understands what it is doing.
Developing clear guidelines in this area and adhering to them I
think would go a long way toward solving the confusion that
surrounds this area.
There is a clear statutory area in the closing of Post
Offices, but with leased and rental facilities it gets much
murkier. And for some communities, the leased or rental
facilities are the only retail outlet they have. And so I think
transparency and giving what the clear guidelines are that the
community can follow would be helpful.
Chairman Collins. Mr. Marshall.
Mr. Marshall. I understand that the Postal Service has
recently implemented a public meeting process during its
efforts to consolidate mail processing facilities, and I
certainly believe that is an important and valuable step. I
also recognize that what is called for is a two-way dialogue in
the process, and so I believe that providing standards for
public analysis is an important step toward transparency.
I would also expect the Board of Governors to receive
regular briefings and consultation on service measurements and
consolidation options and to work closely with management in
analyzing how those compare.
Chairman Collins. Mr. Bilbray.
Mr. Bilbray. Closing anything is tough, as I knew in the
2005 BRAC Commission. One of the things that, of course, I
thought was very effective was the fact that many of us
traveled to different facilities and met with the people, saw
the facilities. As the Senator well knows, the Pentagon did a
miserable job on doing their part of the BRAC, in many cases we
found out that no one had ever visited the facilities; in fact,
the Pentagon admitted that in some places they Googled the
information and decided to close a certain facility.
Nothing, I think, when you go to the Post Office system,
when you go out to the rural areas in Nevada, Utah, and those
areas, that little rural Post Office is as important to them as
the big metropolitan Post Office in the middle of a big city.
I know that the Board and the Chairman have encouraged
people visiting and members of the Board going out to some of
these areas before we close. And I think we should do more of
that to allow local input. And I know that you can look and say
there is a little Post Office in Lamoille, Nevada, and it is
20, 30 miles from Elko. And it is not cost-efficient. It costs
us money to run that facility. It does not take care of itself.
But to the people around Lamoille and Elko County, that is an
important facility. In the middle of winter to drive, it is
like Maine, driving 30 miles in the snow and the bad weather to
do certain things, to a Post Office, is tough.
The problem, we have a part-time Board, and it sometimes
gets very difficult. We come almost every month to Washington
to meet on these issues. To get members to go off to Point A,
Point B, Point C to meet with people is tough. But we have got
to do more of that, and it may be one of the reasons that we do
not do as much and we do not meet as much as we possibly can is
somebody told me at the Post Office that we reach a Hatch Act
situation where we are all political appointees, but when you
have so many meeting dates and you do so many things, even if
we are only paid up to--what?--40 meetings. But if you reach
over a certain limit, you reach the Hatch Act, and you cannot
do that anymore. It might be something we might want to adjust
down the line because I think it is important that we reach
out.
In your facility, Portsmouth, New London, these kind of
things, probably without a BRAC Commission that went out and
looked at it, and if just the Pentagon could do it, those
facilities probably would have been closed by the information
just provided by the Pentagon in both those facilities. But as
BRAC Commissioners went out and looked at these facilities, saw
the need, saw the errors that were made in the projections by
the Pentagon, we reversed those decisions, as you well know.
And we did that across the country in many cases, even though
we backed about 80 percent of the Pentagon recommendations.
I think we need to do something similar here where we can
talk to people in Lamoille and find out, yes, it is not
profitable to keep this facility open, but, on the other hand,
there is something beyond economics when it comes to these
rural Post Offices. And I imagine Maine has that problem worse
than many States because of the winter weathers and inability
to go to the bigger cities and do your postal business.
Maybe we can come up with more efficient ways, but those
little rural postmasters are sometimes the key in a community.
I know my great aunt in Louisiana back in the early 1900s was
the postmaster of Ethel, Louisiana, and she was kind of a
center of the community. She was also the midwife, too. But
these are important situations, and I am very hesitant to close
rural Post Offices because I think they are the backbone of the
postal system. But I imagine some have to be closed. I don't
think we will ever have a BRAC Commission for the Post Office
system, but we can certainly get more involved, and maybe we
need to work together with the Committee to find out how we do
more meetings, how we go out and do these kind of things
without crossing a threshold that puts us into a situation
because--of course, I have got so many friends running for the
Democratic nomination for President right now, I wish I was
limited by the Hatch Act.
Chairman Collins. Thank you. It is obvious that you
understand that issue very well, and I love that your relative
both could deliver babies and deliver the mail. [Laughter.]
But that is an important issue. A lot of times the rural
Post Office also is the town center. It is what brings people
together. And I do have a deep appreciation, representing a
large rural State, of how important those rural Post Offices
are. So I very much appreciate your comments on that.
Mr. Marshall, I want to switch to one final issue, and I
touched on this issue when we met in my office. The Postal
Service has occasionally been criticized for offering products
or services that are not directly related to the delivery of
mail. And photocopying is one example, passport photo taking is
another; postal money orders is a third; selling cards or
wrapping materials is yet another example.
This is a difficult issue because in some very rural areas,
the Post Office may have the only photocopier available for
miles, and it is a real public service that you can go to the
local Post Office and get something copied and pay a modest
fee.
On the other hand, in other communities you have small
businesses that are available, willing, and able to provide
these services, and they do not like the idea of having to
compete with the Postal Service, which has, obviously, some
competitive advantages and has a monopoly on First-Class mail,
and it creates an unfair playing field for a small business
that is trying to compete with the same service.
What are your thoughts on how the Postal Service can strike
the appropriate balance and not unfairly compete with small
businesses?
Mr. Marshall. Well, this is certainly an issue that I want
to study further. I am interested in learning how the Postal
Service's private sector competitors have lined up their
product lines. I am also interested in learning more about the
Postal Service's product lines, usage, and costs associated
with what they are engaged in with their product lines. And I
am interested in customer survey data.
In light of my discussions with you, Madam Chairman, I am
also very sensitive to the impacts that any such decisions
would have on small businesses. I certainly recognize that, as
Governor Bilbray has mentioned and as you schooled me on our
visit, Post Offices do indeed serve as community focal points
in many jurisdictions. And to the extent that there is a
sliding scale that could be imposed in terms of the degree to
which those services may be heavily relied upon in certain
communities but less so in others, hopefully a balance point
can be achieved on that sliding scale that takes those
sensitive issues into account, so that services can be provided
where appropriate, but businesses and local small business
efforts are not threatened.
Chairman Collins. Thank you. Mr. Blair, what are your
thoughts on that issue?
Mr. Blair. Well, I think you eloquently stated the
balancing between a large governmental entity which in some
people's view would have the ability to cross-subsidize
competitive services versus the ability of government to
provide a basic service when it cannot be provided by the
private sector.
I think what you want to do is--how do you strike that
balance? I think that you have to look at it over a period of
time. Maybe it is something that the Postal Service introduces,
and then as the private sector enters the market, it slowly
withdraws. I do not have an easy answer for you at this point,
but you certainly recognize the public policy implications that
the Postal Service competing with the private sector bring to
the forefront. That was something that was struggled with in
the original postal reform bill. I know that your postal reform
bill addresses that the U.S. Postal Service will be only
offering postal services. Sometimes when you cut the baby in
half, neither party is completely satisfied, and it doesn't
satisfy all parties. But recognizing the breadth and scope of
the Postal Service and its ability to impact communities, both
positively and negatively, I think that your approach in H.R.
22 took the right tack.
Chairman Collins. Thank you. Mr. Bilbray.
Mr. Bilbray. I laugh at a story when I was in Congress. You
know how sometimes we provide flags that have flown over the
Capitol? I remember getting a letter from a couple of
businesses that I should stop doing that because I was
interfering with their selling of flags at their business. The
same thing here in the Post Office. The fact is when I walk
into a Post Office, I like the idea that you can buy the boxes,
you can buy the packing material, you can buy the paper. I
think these are related items to the Post Office. In some Post
Offices, you can get passport pictures, and in my case, I can
go down to the corner to the CVS or the Walgreen and get
passport pictures. But in some communities you can't.
I think you have got to be very careful in trying to
interpret what are Post Office-related businesses. And I think
that what I have seen in the Post Office when I go into the
Post Office, boxes that fit my package, I will come in, ``You
got a box that will fit it?'' I don't think it is a real
conflict with small business. I understand if you go down to
the Post Office to get boxes, there is a place by the 7-Eleven
down at the corner, and if you want to buy it down there and
you want to package it down there, it costs about twice as much
as if you went to the U.S. Post Office, and I am sure those
kind of businesses would like to see us get out of the boxing
and the packaging and the wrapping and so forth because they
have to make a profit. But it is very much more expensive, and
I think most of my people in my district, especially seniors,
would rather go to the Post Office and get what they consider a
reasonable deal and a full-service Post Office where they can
help them package, and the people are very accommodating, help
you find the right size box, the right size bubble wrap, and so
forth.
So maybe I am just not as concerned as my colleagues are
about our competition because if we want to keep First-Class
mail down, we have got to expand into areas that are related.
And I think what the problem is going to be here with the
Committee, and maybe some others, is what is Post Office-
related business. To some people, some of the stuff we do, it
maybe is not. But I think it is related to the Post Office, and
I think it is a service we provide to the public.
Chairman Collins. I think that is going to be an ongoing
debate, and I very much appreciate hearing your insights on it.
I want to thank all of the nominees for appearing here
today and for your willingness to serve. The Postal Service is
such a vital institution to this country, and I think it is
absolutely vital that we have highly qualified individuals on
the Board of Governors, on the Postal Rate Commission, and I
believe that the President has chosen very well in sending your
nominations before this Committee. So based on what I have
heard today, I look forward to supporting all three of you and
quickly advancing your nomination to the full Senate. It is my
hope that the Committee will be able to favorably report you
later this week and that we can encourage the full Senate to
confirm you shortly thereafter.
Without objection, the hearing record will be kept open
until noon tomorrow for the submission of any written questions
or statements for the record. Should there be any additional
questions, I would encourage you to turn those around very
rapidly because the Committee cannot vote to report you until
we get your answers back to any additional questions.
I do not expect, judging from the widespread participation
in this hearing this morning, that there will be a great number
of questions. Again, thank you for your service, both past,
present, and future.
This hearing is now adjourned.
[Whereupon, at 11:05 a.m., the Committee was adjourned.]
A P P E N D I X
----------
PREPARED STATEMENT OF SENATOR AKAKA
Thank you very much, Madam Chairman. I join you today in welcoming
our distinguished nominees, who I believe exemplify the best in public
service. I also welcome their families and friends to the Committee
this morning. And of course I welcome our Congressional colleagues who
have introduced our nominees.
I am pleased to be acquainted with all three of these fine
individuals. Mr. Bilbray and I knew one another in the House, and Mr.
Marshall, whose mother is from Maui and a friend of mine, can be called
a son of Hawaii. I am pleased to have worked with Mr. Blair in his
capacity as Deputy Director of the Office of Personnel Management.
I believe all three nominees have the professional experience and
qualifications to serve in the positions to which they have been
nominated. They understand that sound management is key to the vitality
of the U.S. Postal Service, and they share my belief that effective
management demands accountability and transparency.
That is why I look forward to working with them, if confirmed, in
meeting the challenges and opportunities facing the Postal Service.
I urge Mr. Blair, who will be Chairman of the Postal Rate
Commission, to continue the gains made by the current PRC Chairman
George Omas in creating an open environment and maintaining good
relations with the Postal Board of Governors. I also urge Mr. Bilbray
and Mr. Marshall to be independent and to express their opinions on how
the Postal Service should be run today and in the future.
Thank you, Madam Chairman. I look forward to moving these
nominations quickly. I wish all three of you well. You may be assured I
support acting on your nominations quickly.
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<all>