Rep. Kelly Supports Keeping US Post Offices Open

Co-signs bipartisan letter to House Appropriations Committee seeking moratorium on 82 facility closures, including in Erie

WASHINGTON — U.S. Representative Mike Kelly (PA-03) issued the following statement today in support of a bipartisan congressional effort to halt the closure of 82 U.S. Postal Service mail processing facilities, including one in Erie, PA, scheduled to begin in January 2015. He has co-signed a bipartisan letter to the leaders of the House Committee on Appropriations to include language in the Fiscal Year 2015 Continuing Resolution which would impose a one-year moratorium on the slated closures. The letter can be viewed here.

“I have signed this bipartisan letter asking for a one-year moratorium on the scheduled office closures in order to allow members on both sides of the aisle in Congress more time to achieve meaningful postal reforms based on the common ground we already share on this issue.  There’s no question that reforms need to be made to make the U.S. Postal Service solvent, but these closures will adversely affect both small businesses and rural communities that depend on local next-day mail. Our bipartisan group is simply asking for more time to come up with a better alternative towards solvency than the current proposal for closures of distribution centers nation-wide. I commend State Representative Harkins, Mayor Sinnott, and members of Erie City Council who have already voiced their concerns with our office and encourage the community to also take their concerns to the Postal Service directly.”

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