DeLauro Statement on End of Operations at the Wallingford Postal Facility

WASHINGTON, DC—Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-3) released the following statement today on the end of operations at the Wallingford postal processing facility by the United States Postal Service (USPS).

"Effectively closing one of our region's newest mail processing centers is an ill-considered waste of taxpayer dollars. Our postal workers do an extraordinary service for the community and they should be treated with the respect and gratitude they have earned. That includes taking every opportunity to solve USPS' financial problems before upending people's lives.

"Further, the Postal Service originally promised its employees and the Wallingford community that this facility would remain open during this year to allow enough time to reform the Postal Service and assess if the closure is fiscally prudent. This unilateral action underscores the need for Congress to act on comprehensive postal reform."

DeLauro has strongly opposed closing mail processing centers, redefining First-Class mail, and closing retail Post Offices, instead pushing Congress to approve comprehensive legislation that would put USPS back on the path of financial solvency. She is author of the Protect Overnight Delivery Act, which would protect overnight postal delivery by preventing the Postal Service from weakening delivery standards, and a cosponsor of the Postal Service Protection Act of 2013, which would remove the retiree benefits pre-funding burden from the Postal Service and transfer the billions in overcharges back to it. Yesterday she joined with other members of the House of Representatives in sending a letter to Speaker Boehner urging him to bring that legislation before the House for a vote when Congress reconvenes last week.