HR0520 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

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HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The United States Postal Service (USPS) is currently experiencing a major budget shortfall; the USPS is so low on available funds that it will not be able to make a $5.5 billion payment that is due in September of 2011; missing the payment will create a situation where the USPS will no longer have money to pay its employees and gas up its trucks, forcing it to stop delivering the roughly three billion pieces of mail it handles every week; and

WHEREAS, In response to this budget shortfall, United States Postmaster General Patrick R. Donahoe has proposed a series of cost-cutting measures to erase the agency's deficit, which will reach $9.2 billion this fiscal year; the cuts include eliminating Saturday mail delivery, closing up to 3,700 postal locations, and laying off 120,000 workers, which accounts for nearly one-fifth of the agency's work force; and

WHEREAS, Congress is currently considering numerous emergency proposals to save the USPS, but have been unable to come to a consensus on any solution to the budget shortfall; the lack of any solution will eventually force the USPS to cease delivering mail altogether; and

WHEREAS, It is of the utmost importance that the United States Postal Service remain open and able to perform the vitally importance task of delivering the mail to millions of Americans; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge Congress to ensure adequate funding for the United States Postal Service and to take all appropriate steps to keep the United States Postal Service open for all Americans to use; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies be presented to the Speaker and Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives and the Majority and Minority Leaders of the United States Senate.