Floor Statements

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to print the following letter in the Congressional Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to print the following letter in the Congressional Record.

Mr. President, I rise today to honor an accomplished and highly regarded leader in Michigan's field of public service, Gilda Jacobs who recently retired from serving as president and CEO of the Michigan League for Public Policy. Gilda has made an immeasurable impact on the Detroit metropolitan area and the State of Michigan over the past 30 years, and it is a privilege to recognize her here today and celebrate her retirement.

Gilda began her career as an educator, graduating from the University of Michigan in 1971 with a masters in behavioral science in education. Following her graduation, Gilda began working as a special education teacher in the Madison School District in Oakland County, MI. Gilda taught one of the Detroit region's first classes for children with emotional disabilities. It was her role as a leader in the rapidly developing field of special education services that led her to begin engaging in local activism, community organizations, and politics.

In 1978, she was asked to work first as the campaign manager and then as a district office manager for newly-elected State Senator Doug Ross. In helping Senator Ross launch his political career, Jacobs set in motion the beginning of her own. In 1981, after a contentious election, Gilda was elected to the Huntington Woods City Commission, the first woman to do so. In 1994, she ran for and was elected to serve her community as an Oakland County Commissioner. Four years after this, she was elected to serve two terms in Michigan's House of Representatives. At this time, I represented a portion of her district in the State senate and had the pleasure of collaborating with her on many initiatives on behalf of our constituents. I knew the senate district was in capable hands when she succeeded me, winning the seat in 2002. Her strong reputation as an effective leader in championing issues and getting things done were immediately recognized by her colleagues who elected her chair of the senate's Democratic caucus, making Gilda the first woman to serve as floor leader in either chamber of Michigan's Legislature.

As a State-elected official, Gilda was a tireless advocate for the rights of women, children, and people with disabilities. In the State legislature, she served as the vice chair of the economic development, small business and regulatory reform committee, the families and human services committee, and government operations and health policy committees. Among her many successes were the establishment of a bipartisan bicameral talent caucus to develop strategies to encourage Michigan entrepreneurship and discourage college graduate flight.

In 2011, following the conclusion of her leadership and service in the Michigan Senate, Gilda joined the Michigan League for Public Policy as president and CEO. At the Michigan League for Public Policy, Gilda focused on the promotion of racial equality, economic security, and the overall health and well-being of Michiganders. During her

tenure she helped the organization move major policy victories, including, among others, successfully defending the Michigan Earned Income Tax Credit; raising the age at which Michigan's juveniles can be tried as adults, and changing the asset test on food and cash assistance in the State, allowing more residents to be eligible for assistance. As a result of her leadership and tireless devotion, the State of Michigan has seen progress in policy for Michigan's youth, women, and families.

During a time of great personal loss, Gilda--and her late husband John--worked on developing policy efforts to better ensure railroad safety after their daughter, Rachel, was tragically killed in the Philadelphia Amtrak crash of May 2015. Although confronted with unimaginable grief, they felt it essential to address the issue head on, advocating for enhanced safety measures so no other family would experience what they did during that horrific time.

Gilda's contributions go well beyond her professional endeavors. In addition to serving as a public representative and policy maker, she has been a lifelong volunteer for numerous causes and organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan, the United Way for Southeastern Michigan and New Detroit, and the JARC--a Michigan-based nonprofit dedicated to enriching the lives of those with disabilities. She was further recognized as one of Crain's Detroit Business 100 most influential women and awarded the Michigan Food Bank Council Hunger-Free Award in 2015.

I cannot understate the impact that Gilda Jacobs has had on the people of Michigan. She has spearheaded initiatives to eliminate hunger and support Michigan's families, promoted positive changes in our communities, and created a model for public service that is unmatched. I ask all of my colleagues to join me in recognizing Gilda's many years of work on behalf of others, and congratulating her on a well-earned retirement from the Michigan League for Public Policy. Though her leadership there will be sorely missed, her legacy will most certainly endure.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. President, I rise in support of Nani Coloretti's nomination to be the Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget.

Ms. Coloretti is a dedicated public servant and a proven leader who is well qualified to serve as OMB Deputy Director. She has over 20 years of experience at the Federal, State, and local level executing complex government programs, improving service delivery, and managing large organizations.

Ms. Coloretti served with distinction in the Obama administration as the Assistant Secretary for Management at the U.S. Department of the Treasury and then as the Deputy Secretary at the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

It is absolutely critical that we have Senate-confirmed leaders in place at OMB, and I have no doubt that Ms. Coloretti's experience will serve the Agency and the American people well.

I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting Nani Coloretti's nomination to be OMB Deputy Director.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak for 2 minutes.

Mr. President, I rise in support of Shalanda Young's nomination to be Director of the Office of Management and Budget.

Ms. Young has done an exemplary job serving as OMB's Acting Director for the past year. She is a dedicated public servant and a proven leader.

She has played a key role in the administration's efforts to help the Nation recover from the pandemic. She has worked closely with Congress to pass the historic bipartisan infrastructure package, and she is truly committed to making the Federal Government work better for the American people.

I have absolutely no doubt that Ms. Young is the right choice to lead the OMB going forward. I urge my colleagues to join me in voting to confirm Shalanda Young to be the Director of OMB.

Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays.

I ask unanimous consent to be recognized for 3 minutes.

Mr. President, I rise in support of Shalanda Young's nomination to be the Director of the Office of Management and Budget.

Ms. Young has served with distinction as OMB's Acting Director for the past year, leading the administration's efforts to execute the American Rescue Plan, the bipartisan infrastructure bill, and numerous Federal cybersecurity priorities.

Over the past year, she has been a true partner to Congress, working closely with Members on both sides of the aisle to find bipartisan paths forward.

In addition to her proven leadership at OMB this past year, Ms. Young brings nearly two decades of public service experience to her role, including as a senior staff Member on the House Appropriations Committee where she led challenging bipartisan negotiations around the debt limit, government funding, and budget reform.

OMB will continue to be central to the administration's efforts to tackle the Nation's ongoing challenges, and Ms. Young will be instrumental in leading that work.

I have every confidence in Ms. Young's ability to continue to rise to the challenges facing OMB, both now and in the future.

I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting the confirmation of Shalanda Young as director of the Office of Management and Budget.

Mr. President, on Tuesday night, the Senate took a significant and historic vote to strengthen one of our Nation's oldest and most trusted institutions--the U.S. Postal Service.

For the past 15 years, this vital service that delivers to every single community in our country, no matter how remote, has faced unfair, burdensome requirements that have jeopardized its financial stability and its ability to provide reliable and timely delivery to Americans all across our country.

With 79 votes for the Postal Service Reform Act--one of the strongest bipartisan votes the Senate has delivered during this Congress--we passed significant reforms that will set the Postal Service on a more stable financial footing, preserve mail delivery for 6 days a week, and ensure greater transparency of delivery performance for the people who are counting on the Postal Service to bring them critical mail.

When our Nation's Founders enshrined the Postal Service in our Constitution, they could have never envisioned what a vital role this institution would play in the daily lives of Americans. Whether it is families who are receiving critical medications or connecting with loved ones, veterans and seniors who are relying on the mail for benefits and Social Security checks, or small businesses that are sending important financial documents and their products to customers, Americans are counting on the Postal Service to deliver. Over the past few years--especially during COVID-19--we have seen just how essential the Postal Service is to keeping our country connected.

The legislation that we passed earlier this week with overwhelming bipartisan support will help ensure that the Postal Service can continue its vital mission, and I am looking forward to seeing President Biden sign it into law.

I am proud of our bipartisan efforts to protect this vital public service, and I would like to take just a few moments to thank the many people who made this possible.

First, I want to recognize my Senate colleague on this effort, Senator Rob Portman, who is the ranking member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

I am also grateful to Chairwoman Maloney and Ranking Member Comer on the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, who worked with me hand in hand, as well as with Senator Portman, to write and to build key support for this legislation.

Senator Carper, who is a former chairman of Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and a stalwart advocate for the Postal Service, was an absolutely indispensable resource, a critical voice, and we worked together to advance this bill.

I would also like to recognize each of our Senate cosponsors: Senators Tillis, Sinema, and Burr, Chairman Wyden of the Senate Finance Committee, Senators Collins, Hassan, Daines, Rosen, Capito, Padilla, Sullivan, Manchin, Hawley, Schatz, Blunt, Rounds, Smith, Cramer, Reed, Murkowski, Chairman Sanders of the Budget Committee, and Senators Hoeven, Tester, Moran, and Kaine.

Key stakeholders like the Postal Service, our postal employee unions, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, and the countless members of the public who spoke out about what timely service meant to them also played an essential role in providing technical assistance and building support in passing this legislation.

But none of these vital reforms to protect this longstanding public service would have been possible without the dedicated and tireless work of congressional staff.

First, I would like to recognize my staff on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, who worked tirelessly to ensure this bill received bipartisan and bicameral support, as well as stakeholder support.

Thank you to Annika Christensen, Lena Chang, and Victoria Pleasant for your determined efforts to craft and build support for this consensus reform.

I would also like to thank Senator Portman's staff, Pam Theissen, Andy Dockham, Amanda Neely, and Renee Sheehy, who all played an important role in crafting and passing these reforms.

On the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, Mark Stephenson and Ethan Van Ness on Chairwoman Maloney's staff, as well as Christian Hoehner, Jake Greenberg, Daniel Ashworth, and Bill Womack on Ranking Member Comer's staff, provided valuable counsel and expertise on the legislation.

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Wyden's staff, Eva Dugoff and Sam Conchuratt, and Ranking Member Crapo's staff, Erin Dempsey, offered vital assistance to ensure the Medicare integration proposal worked effectively.

House Ways and Means Committee staff Kathryn Olson, T.J. Sutcliffe, and Elisa Walker all provided critical technical assistance.

Leader Schumer's staff provided vital expertise and guidance throughout the entire process and especially over the past few weeks as we prepared to pass this bill on the floor.

Finally, Jackie Maffucci from Senator Carper's office and Erin Bursch and Erin Schulte from Senator Sinema's office spent countless hours helping to craft and secure robust support for the bill.

These folks, along with countless others, ensured that the Postal Service would be able to keep delivering for the American people.

In recent years, it has been a rare occasion when the Senate comes together to pass this kind of bipartisan, consensus legislation with such overwhelming support to address a very, very real problem. I am grateful to every person who played a role in raising awareness-- working on this legislation--and getting it passed by both the House and the Senate.

Once signed into law, this groundbreaking, bipartisan bill will help ensure that the Postal Service can continue its nearly 250-year tradition of providing delivery to every American.

I yield the floor.

Madam President, reserving the right to object.

Madam President, the Postal Service Reform Act before us here today represents consensus on essential reforms for the U.S. Postal Service, overdue for over a decade.

This legislation will ensure the Postal Service can provide long- term, reliable, 6-day-a-week service across the country, and put it on stable financial footing.

This amendment changes key service protections in the bill and adds new harmful provisions tailored to special interests of Postal Service competitors.

Our bill requires the Postal Service to maintain its current standard of delivery at least 6 days per week. It is absolutely essential to protect 6-day delivery so the Postal Service can continue serving as a critical lifeline for countless communities that rely on the mail for medications, for rent payments, for critical supplies, for Social Security checks, and so much more.

This amendment would change how the Postal Service operates today by altering their integrated network that allows mail and packages to be delivered together. This is more efficient for both the Postal Service and for their customers.

Instead, this amendment seeks to undermine the Postal Service's ability to compete against private carriers that do not have the same requirements to deliver to every single community in the United States of America.

The amendment would also force publication of contract information to Postal Service competitors. This would give away commercially sensitive information to private carriers and provide an unfair advantage, when the Postal Regulatory Commission already reviews every Postal Service contract to ensure both compliance as well as fairness.

I appreciated Senator Portman's thoughtful comments against changing the key service protections in this bill. It is time to pass this bipartisan legislation as drafted and getting it signed into law.

I object.

Madam President, reserving the right to object.

Madam President, this bill is limited to absolutely essential, consensus, bipartisan reforms that are necessary to ensure that the Postal Service can survive and can continue delivering for the American people.

Everything in this bill has bipartisan agreement. This bill passed the House by a vote of 342 to 92. It has broad support from the public, from the business community, and other stakeholders.

In contrast, this amendment is inflammatory and unnecessary to the postal bill. It is meant to be a poison pill. It would add abortion- inducing drugs to the list of nonmailable matter under postal law.

Under current law, the list of nonmailable matter includes items ranging from grenades to explosives, to controlled substances and narcotics.

However, the Postal Service is free to mail any FDA-approved drugs that are prescribed by healthcare providers and sent by either a pharmacy or a doctor.

There are no other FDA-approved medications that are prohibited from being mailed to patients in need.

This amendment is an attack on reproductive rights that would make it more difficult for women and families to safely access critical medical care, and it imposes an unnecessary hardship on women and families who are accessing their care using telemedicine, especially during a pandemic.

This amendment simply has no place in a bipartisan postal reform bill.

Madam President, I object.

Madam President, reserving the right to object.

Madam President, I oppose the Scott amendment, which would gut the bipartisan Postal Service Reform Act by nullifying the Medicare integration proposal.

Medicare integration is an absolutely key part of this bipartisan bill to provide long-term financial stability for the Postal Service. My colleague Senator Portman spoke recently about why these criticisms of Medicare integration are simply unfounded.

This bill simply provides for future postal retirees, who have already paid into Medicare throughout their entire careers, to enroll in Part B and Part D. Roughly a quarter of postal retirees do not enroll in Medicare even though they are eligible. This means the Postal Service is stuck paying higher premiums.

This bill simply allows the Postal Service to do what other businesses and employers already do all across our country by integrating these retirees into Medicare. This saves the Postal Service money and saves taxpayer money. This bill reduces the deficit over 10 years by nearly $1.5 billion.

CBO has also made clear that the bill does not affect the Part A trust fund and will not have any effect on Medicare Part B or Part D premiums.

Postal workers are already eligible for Part A, and the number of new postal workers going into Part B will be fewer than 40,000 individuals, and that compares to 62 million people currently in the program.

The Postal Service Reform Act does not harm Medicare. It provides savings to the Postal Service and to taxpayers. It allows the Postal Service to survive, regain stable financial footing, and keep delivering for every single American. We need to stop delaying this bill. We need to pass the bill.

I object.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to be recognized for 5 minutes of remarks.

Mr. President, in just a few moments, each of our colleagues will have the opportunity to cast a historic vote to pass groundbreaking legislation that will ensure that the U.S. Postal Service can continue its nearly 250-year tradition of delivering service to the American people.

The Postal Service is one of our Nation's most trusted and storied institutions. Since the founding of the United States, the Postal Service has become a vital part of the fabric of our Nation for generations.

It has served as an indispensable public service that not only delivers critical mail, like medications and financial documents, but also helps families all across the country stay connected with each other.

The Postal Service is the only mail carrier that delivers to every community across our Nation and serves more than 160 million households--no matter how remote.

However, in recent years, we have seen how burdensome financial requirements drove the Postal Service to use cost-cutting measures that compromised delivery services. And that is why this bipartisan bicameral bill is so vital. It will help the Postal Service overcome unfair policies that threaten its ability to effectively service the American people.

Since introducing this bill, I have worked closely with my ranking member, Rob Portman, and our 26 other Senate cosponsors from both sides of the aisle, as well as Chairwoman Maloney and Ranking Member Comer on the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, to craft these consensus reforms and secure the strong bipartisan support we have seen in both the House and, hopefully soon, in the Senate.

I am grateful to each of my colleagues for their hard work and for their cooperation and their willingness to compromise during this process.

Our legislation, which it has been 15 years in the making, will eliminate the unnecessary requirement for the Postal Service to prefund the cost of retiree health benefits and will integrate postal retirees healthcare with Medicare.

Together, these reforms will save the Postal Service more than $49 billion and ensure this essential public service, which is dependent on revenues from products and service fees to fund its operations, is set on a path for long-term financial stability.

This historic legislation will also ensure every American knows what is going on with the mail in their community by requiring the Postal Service to post weekly local performance data online.

It will also ensure this vital institution continues to deliver mail at least 6 days a week. By passing the Postal Service Reform Act, we can ensure the Postal Service is able to provide reliable service to families and small businesses, veterans, seniors, and rural communities who rely on this essential service each and every day for years to come.

By passing this legislation tonight and quickly sending it to President Biden's desk, this body can show the Nation that Congress can indeed build consensus; we can work on a bipartisan basis and get things done for the American people. Together, we can enact historic, meaningful change and improve the lives of our constituents.

I urge my colleagues to vote in support of this long-overdue bill so that we can take a historic and significant step to bring the Postal Service into the future and ensure it can continue providing essential services to the American people, as it has done for nearly 250 years.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the cloture motion on the Gonzalez nomination be withdrawn.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that I may speak 5 minutes prior to the commencement of the vote.

Madam President, in just a few moments, this body will take an important vote to continue moving forward on the bipartisan Postal Service Reform Act. These vital reforms will help set the Postal Service on a more stable financial footing so that this trusted public service can continue delivering to every single community in the United States.

Millions--millions--of Americans are counting on the Postal Service to deliver essential mail, including medications, important financial documents, and other critical supplies. We have all seen firsthand how veterans and seniors, small businesses, rural residents, and others who rely on the Postal Service face serious hardships when the Postal Service is focused on cutting costs by making changes to delivery service.

This bill will help address the most significant financial burdens on the Postal Service by reversing an unnecessary requirement to prefund every cent of healthcare benefits that every postal employee will eventually use in retirement no matter how far off that retirement may be. By eliminating this aggressive prefunding requirement--I may add, something that no other business in America is forced to do--along with integrating postal retirees' healthcare into Medicare, like so many other private employers, this bipartisan, commonsense legislation will save the Postal Service more than $49 billion over the next 10 years.

The bill also requires the Postal Service to deliver 6 days a week and improves transparency and accountability for Americans by requiring the Postal Service to publicly post weekly performance data on its website.

This legislation has been 15 years in the making, and tonight, we will get one step closer to making it a reality.

I am grateful to my colleagues who have shown strong, bipartisan support for this legislation, including my colead, Ranking Member Portman from Ohio, and the 28 cosponsors from both sides of the aisle who have worked with us to make this a reality. Our cosponsors have played an important role in helping to build additional support for this critical bill.

Certainly, there is still more work to do to ensure even greater long-term success for the Postal Service and its customers, but tonight--tonight--the Senate will take a substantial step to continue advancing this incredibly important bill.

I urge my colleagues to join me in taking this meaningful action to protect the future of the Postal Service and the essential services that it provides to our communities all across our country.

I yield the floor.

Cloture Motion

Madam President, last night, the Senate came together for the American people and overwhelmingly voted to move forward on historic, bipartisan, bicameral, and long-overdue reforms that will help ensure the stability and the long-term success of the U.S. Postal Service.

The Postal Service is one of our Nation's oldest and most trusted institutions. It serves as a critical lifeline for millions of Americans, including seniors and veterans in rural communities who expect the Postal Service to deliver vital mail, including supplies and medications.

However, for more than 15 years, this public service and its dedicated workers have been hindered by burdensome financial requirements. The need to quickly pass these balanced reforms, which are broadly supported by the American people, has become increasingly urgent.

One persistent burden has been a requirement to prefund every single cent of healthcare benefits that every single postal worker employee will use when they eventually retire, no matter how far off that may be. This is something that no business in America is required to do, and for good reason. It makes no practical sense, and it has imposed an enormous cost on the Postal Service that has threatened their ability to provide reliable and timely delivery.

In recent years, we have seen firsthand how burdensome policies have driven the Postal Service to resort to harsh measures to cut costs and, as a result, compromise delivery service. We must act now to set this critical institution on a sustainable financial footing by passing the Postal Service Reform Act.

This bipartisan, commonsense legislation will save the Postal Service more than $49 billion in the next 10 years by eliminating the aggressive prefunding requirement for retiree health benefits and by integrating postal retirees' healthcare with Medicare.

These changes will help ensure the Postal Service, which is self- sustaining and does not receive taxpayer funding, can continue serving the people and avoid making severe cuts down the line that would impact millions of Americans. These reforms will also require the Postal Service to deliver 6 days a week so it can continue serving as a critical lifeline for countless communities that need timely delivery of their essential needs.

This legislation will also make the Postal Service more transparent and accountable to the American people by making weekly local performance data publicly available online, enabling every single community to see exactly how the Postal Service is performing in their area.

I introduced this legislation in the Senate last year and have worked hand in hand with Ranking Member Rob Portman from Ohio, as well as Chairwoman Maloney and Ranking Member Comer on the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, to craft this bill.

Last month, the House passed this legislation with overwhelming bipartisan support. Last night, we saw this body advance it with significant bipartisan support once again. Now the Senate has a historic opportunity to move this legislation forward.

I am proud to have helped secure significant bipartisan support for our Senate companion bill, with a total of 14 Democratic and 14 Republican cosponsors backing the legislation.

Together, we can finally, after more than 15 years, pass this commonsense, bipartisan legislation to set the Postal Service on a stable financial foot and bring it into the future. We can support our dedicated and hard-working postal employees, as well as the customers whom they serve. We can set the Postal Service up for success so that families and small businesses, veterans, seniors, and all Americans can continue to rely on this critical public

service, as they have for generations. We can show the American people this body can set aside partisanship and work hand in hand to improve their lives.

Every single day that we delay will just hurt the Postal Service. We must pass these urgently needed reforms. I urge all of my colleagues to support this legislation and pass it swiftly so that we can ensure the long-term success of this treasured institution and the essential role it plays in the lives of every single American.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate

proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 265, S. 3600.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Wicker and Peters amendments, which are at the desk, be considered and agreed to; that the bill, as amended, be considered read a third time and passed; and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Mr. President, S. 3600 is commonsense, bipartisan legislation that will help protect critical infrastructure from the absolute relentless cyber attacks that we see that threaten both our economy as well as our national security.

I appreciate Senator Portman working with me to get this legislation across the finish line. And I think this is especially important right now as we face increased risk of cyber attacks from Russia and the cyber criminals that they harbor in retaliation for our support for Ukraine.

I appreciate the Senate for coming together here tonight to get this important landmark bill done.

I yield the floor.

Thank you, Leader Schumer.

Madam President, I stand in support of this bill.

This bill is absolutely essential to make sure that the Postal Service is on sound financial footing.

As Leader Schumer mentioned, Americans all across our country rely on the Postal Service to deliver critical items to their home--things like medicines, which go via the Postal Service. They expect that service to provide it 6 days a week and to do it on time. But, unfortunately, the Postal Service has been saddled with rules that may make it very, very difficult.

The legislation before us is an attempt to fix those rules that make it more difficult for the Postal Service to deliver essential services and do it in a cost-effective way.

It is something that has been discussed here in Congress for a decade or more--a decade or more. This is not an issue that just came out of nowhere. This is something we have been trying to fix for nearly a decade.

Over the last year and a half, we have been working on bipartisan, bicameral legislation, bringing people together and saying, Let's just focus on what is common sense.

Now, let's see, what is common sense? Right now, the Postal Service has had to prefund retirement healthcare for decades. No other company in America needs to do that. No other Federal agency in the government does that. No one does it, but the Postal Service is saddled with this requirement, which has billed tens of billions of dollars. It is common sense to treat the Postal Service like every other business and every other government agency in the Federal Government.

Also, it makes sense to have retirees integrated into Medicare. Like every single company in America, it will be integrated into Medicare. And let's be clear: Those postal workers have been paying into Medicare their whole working career. They are paying into Medicare. They should have the ability to actually get Medicare.

This will also help the Postal Service be able to function in an efficient and effective way.

The bipartisan, bicameral work that we did--I worked with my ranking member, Senator Portman. We have been working with our counterparts in the House, and both the Democratic chair and the Republican ranking member came up with an agreement, got wide consensus from folks throughout Congress. In fact, the bill that I introduced here in the Senate, which is basically the bill that is before us from the House, has 28 cosponsors--14 Republicans, 14 Democrats. How many bills do we have here on the floor that have that much support from both sides?

This is bipartisan. This is common sense. It addresses a critical issue for the American people, and they want us to come together and solve it. But instead, we have a procedural blocking technique to slow this down. And every day we wait, it puts the Postal Service in more jeopardy. It is time for action now.

As the leader mentioned, since 2000, there have been similar kinds of mistakes by the transfer of a bill; five times--five times in 20 years. And every time, it has been settled quickly because people say it is just a mistake; let's move on with the business of the people. Let's not play games. I would hope we could do that now.

Five times, it went quickly. In fact, three of those times, the bills that came over had less bipartisan support than this bill. This bill had 120 Republicans support it in the House.

It is time to move this forward. Let's stop playing games. Let's help the Postal Service. Let's help the American people, and let's show that the U.S. Senate knows how to get a job done.