WASHINGTON – Today, Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Chairman Tom Carper released the following statement reacting to the Postmaster General’s announcement that the U.S. Postal Service plans to reduce some mail delivery to 5 days a week:
“I am disappointed by the Postal Service’s announcement today regarding its plans to transition to a five-day mail delivery schedule in August. For nearly three decades, it has been the clear intent of Congress that the Postal Service provide most communities with six days of mail delivery. That said, I have long argued that Congress should reduce the number of service mandates it places on the Postal Service so that the Postmaster General and his team can more easily adjust operations to reflect the changing demand for the products and services they offer. I have even co-authored bipartisan legislation, which the Senate approved last year, that would have allowed the Postal Service to eliminate Saturday delivery within two years of enactment provided that the new delivery schedule was truly necessary to help the Postal Service survive. That legislation also would have helped the Postal Service cut costs elsewhere and generate new revenue in an effort to preserve Saturday delivery for as long as possible. While I welcome the Postal Service’s intention to preserve Saturday package delivery under the proposal announced today, I would much prefer that any effort to move to a five-day mail delivery schedule occur in an orderly manner similar to the process the Senate approved last year.
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WASHINGTON – Today, incoming Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC) Chairman Tom Carper (D-Del.) and Ranking Member Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) with their Committee colleagues sent a bipartisan letter urging President Obama to quickly nominate candidates to fill vacant Inspector General positions at six major federal agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security.
"The value of the Inspectors General goes beyond dollars; these offices also help reveal and prosecute wrongdoing, and promote the integrity of government. They provide invaluable support to Congressional budgeting and oversight work. Inspectors General are an essential component of government oversight," the Senators wrote. "Inspectors General occupy a unique role – tasked with 'speaking truth to power' and with dual reporting obligations to their agency head and to Congress. A sustained absence of permanent leadership is not healthy for any office – particularly one entrusted with as important and challenging a mission as an Office of Inspector General."
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WASHINGTON— Today, incoming Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Chairman Tom Carper (D-Del.) with Senators Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), and Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) introduced legislation that would allow Washington D.C. full statehood, including full voter representation in Congress for its residents.
The New Columbia Admissions Act, S. 132, would pave the way for the potential creation of a 51st state, called New Columbia, with full voting rights in Congress. Under the bill, a federal district called Washington, D.C. – encompassing the White House, the Capitol, the Supreme Court and the National Mall – would still remain under the control of Congress, as the Constitution mandates. Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) introduced companion legislation in the House, H.R. 292, earlier this month.
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WASHINGTON – Today, Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, which oversees U.S. border and port security, immigration and customs, among other relevant issues, released the following statement reacting to the announcement of an immigration bill framework by Sens. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), John McCain (R-Ariz.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.):
“I’m encouraged that my colleagues were able to reach a bipartisan agreement on the framework for comprehensive immigration reform. Our nation’s immigration system hasn’t been updated in over 25 years, and it is well past time to overhaul our laws to make them more effective, humane, and to improve our nation’s economic competitiveness while safeguarding our security. I stand ready to work with my colleagues as this process moves forward. I believe the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee can be a good partner in developing legislation in this area, particularly as we work to secure our borders and ports of entry in a cost effective and efficient manner.”
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