A new bill proposed on Capital Hill would prevent the Postal Service from weakening delivery standards. As WBFO's Chris Caya reports if next day delivery is stopped - hundreds of local jobs could be eliminated.
Western New York Congressman Brian Higgins is among the more than 70 cosponsors of the Protect Overnight Delivery Act.
"The continuation of overnight delivery is fundamental to keeping the mail processing facility in Buffalo open," said Congressman Higgins.
The Postal Service employs about 7,000 people at its facility on William Street. Higgins fought to keep it open last year. But serious challenges remain. The agency expects to default in September on a nearly $6-billion payment to its pension fund.
"The current formula is unrealistic. No public or private business has to comply with these standards. And if that issue were resolved the United States Postal Service would be a profitable operation," said Congressman Higgins.
But without legal authority to make the needed changes the Postmaster General continues pushing for five-day delivery of First Class Mail.
Higgins - a Buffalo Democrat says postal reform should be brought to a vote on the House floor.
"When you threaten service delivery standards what you're doing really is undermining the competitive postilion of the United States Postal Service. So 6 day delivery should continue. Overnight delivery should continue. We should quickly pass this bi-partisan bill that has over 218 sponsors - to give the kind of reforms that are necessary to allow the United States Postal Service to continue all of the current services and remain competitive," said Congressman Higgins.