Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that there should be established a National Letter Carriers Appreciation Day.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 49) expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that there should be established a National Letter Carriers Appreciation Day.

Mr. Speaker, we're honoring workers today, and it's appropriate, among those workers, that we single out letter carriers.

As a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, I'm pleased to join my colleagues in support of H. Res. 49, which seeks to commemorate our Nation's postal carriers for their dedication and hard work.

By consistently delivering the mail in a timely and congenial fashion for over hundreds of years, mail carriers have become an irreplaceable component, not only to the economy of America, but to the culture and livelihood of our country.

I believe we have a tendency to forget how important the every day service is. Yet, if we were to go 1 day without the United States Postal Service, over 2,300 pieces of mail per carrier would go undelivered.

It is our mail carriers who help preserve the concept of universal service that is so integral to the work of the United States Postal Service.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I'm hopeful that when this resolution passes, as I'm sure it will, that the United States Postal Service will post a copy of it in every post office in the country so that our letter carriers will be able to see that Members of Congress appreciate the work that they do.

Day in and day out our letter carriers are there. We rely on them to move the commerce of the country. Many of us are aware that the United States Postal Service is the third largest employer in America; that they employ over 700,000 career letter carriers, and 98,000 noncareer employees; that they move about 44 percent of the world's mail volume. They have an extraordinarily important work to do in providing for communication in this country, in making sure that people here from one another in carrying messages that are so important to our commerce.

The United States Postal Service employees, these letter carriers that we're honoring today, deserve our constant appreciation for the work that they do. I'm so glad that this House is involved in paying attention to the people that do the everyday work of our Nation that aren't often recognized.

We who are in these exalted positions always need to remember that the work of the government is done in so many ways, and when somebody, step by step, moves through his or her appointed rounds, every day, out there delivering the mail, they deserve just as much respect as those of us who are holding high public office. And so it's with a great deal of appreciation for the letter carriers that I stand in support of the bill.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this resolution expressing the sense that there should be established a National Letter Carriers Appreciation Day.

The emblematic quote, ``Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds'' is emblazoned across the front of the Farley Post Office in New York City. It is safe to say we all know this famous, yet unofficial motto of the United States Postal Service.

However, we can easily forget how much we appreciate and depend on the dedicated letter carriers of the United States Postal Service. These tireless public servants ensure that over 144 million households receive more than 43 tons of mail each year, equal to 44 percent of the world's mail volume.

Letter carriers, also referred to as mailmen or mail carriers, are the public face of the U.S. Postal Service. As the front line, carriers are routinely pressured too move faster, work harder and perform more tasks in a timely manner. In the most stressful of crafts, carriers are watched, timed and inspected more than any other employees.

There are three types of mail carriers in the United States, servicing all areas of this broad Nation. City letter carriers, represented by the National Association of Letter Carriers, skillfully navigate the expansive urban landscapes, providing efficient service to the millions of Americans living in densely populated areas.

Rural letter carriers, represented by the National Rural Letter Carriers' Association, support the diverse territory surrounding our cities. With increased development of rural areas, the Rural Carrier Craft is the only expanding craft in the Postal Service.

The final group of carriers, known as Highway Contract Route Carriers, work expansive routes where population density is less than one customer per mile driven. Driving their own vehicles, these committed carriers travel great distances to ensure timely delivery.

Whether they brave bustling urban jungles, constantly changing suburban expanses, or broad rural landscapes, these men and women brave all conditions to provide us with timely and effective mail service. For their efforts, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support the passage of H. Res. 49, and yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill, House Resolution 49, which honors the dedication and contributions made by letter carriers across the country.

Being a representative of one of the largest congressional districts land-wise east of the Mississippi, I am well aware of the necessity of timely and efficient postal service.

Most of us rely on letter carriers of the United States Postal Service to deliver our monthly bills, drop off our favorite magazine, or ship an important package.

Amazingly, letter carriers delivered over 212 billion pieces of mail in 2005. That's 1.4 million pieces a day for every Congressional District.

Their dedication is accurately reflected in the unofficial USPS motto: ``Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.''

This bill is a straight-forward resolution that expresses the sense of Congress that America's letter carriers make a vital contribution to the well-being and economic prosperity of our Nation and calls for a national day of appreciation to honor their service.

It is also important to recognize the contribution that letter carriers make to their communities through their community service efforts and charitable donations. These contributions are undoubtedly recognized by the American public as the USPS was voted ``The Most Trusted Government Agency'' earlier this month, for the fourth year in a row.

My fellow Members, we seem to spend a significant amount of time dedicating Post Offices; it is about time we honor those that work within them. I hope you will join me in saluting their efforts.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 49, which expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that there should be established a National Letter Carriers Appreciation Day.

In 1775, Members of the Second Continental Congress established the Post Office Department, the predecessor of the Postal Service and the second oldest Federal department or agency in the United States. For the past two centuries, the United States Postal Service has evolved and changed as the United States has grown. Today, the Postal Service delivers hundreds of millions of messages each day to more than 141 million homes and businesses. Behind the delivery of each of these letters is the hard work and dedication of a letter carrier.

Letter carriers deliver more than 43 tons of mail per year, which averages out to about 2,300 letters, cards, and circulars per carrier per day. Six days a week, rain or shine, hurricane or blizzard, our Nation's 705,000 carrier letter carriers and 98,000 non-carrier employees faithfully contribute to our economic strength and vitality through their timely and efficient delivery of mail.

I have spent hours walking mail routes with the letter carriers in New Jersey. I have seen first hand how dedicated postal employees are to ensuring the timely and safe delivery of mail and tying together our local communities. These letter carriers should be applauded for their service to all Americans.

I urge all of my colleagues to support H. Res. 49 and acknowledge the hard work and dedication of the letter carriers in your congressional district.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 49, a resolution that establishes National Letter Carriers Appreciation Day.

Letter carriers are vital to the United States economy and help keep families and friends in touch with one another. They provide mail service 6 days a week, in good and bad weather, to more than 144 million households. The United States Postal Service employs more than 705,000 letter carriers who deliver more than 43 tons of mail each year. This averages to approximately 2,300 letters, cards, magazines, and circulars per carrier per day.

In addition, I would like to specifically honor Perry Bennet Schmitt, who has delivered mail to my District Office since I was first elected to Congress in 2000. My staff and I look forward to his daily visits where he brightens our day with jokes and stories. Perry has served the people of Saint Paul as a letter carrier for 28 years and has delivered mail on his current route for over twenty. It takes him six hours to deliver mail each day to over 350 stops. Perry is a designated letter carrier trainer and during his time with the Post Office has trained over a hundred carriers. He is also an active member of Local 28 of the National Association of Letter Carriers, which represents over 1,000 members.

I want to thank Perry and all letter carriers for their dedication and urge my colleagues to support this resolution.