USPS shortchanged by USD800 million, Potter says
Congress is shortchanging the U.S. Postal Service under planned fiscal 2005 appropriations and should restore more than $800 million in funding, Postmaster General John Potter said Aug. 31.
In a letter to Rep. Ernest Istook, R-Okla., chairman of the House Appropriations subcommittee on Transportation, Treasury and independent agencies, Potter said programs to provide free mail for the blind and overseas voters and to secure postal facilities against future bioterror attacks are jeopardized by the lack of appropriations.
The Postal Service wants nearly $76 million to subsidize free mail services; the House spending bill would provide almost $62 million.
Potter said that Congress’ refusal to provide $779 million to pay for machines to detect biological weapons sent through the mail and filter biohazards from the air at postal facilities makes the Postal Service “very concerned that payment for the equipment to [make mail safer is] not considered a priority.”
Congress also has not budgeted for a $29 million debt repayment, which would be the 12th of 42 payments on a more than $1.2 billion dollar debt owed to the Postal Service. Nearly $900 million remains, and the Postal Service could be forced to write the whole debt off if Congress reneges on this payment.
