Witnesses testified on the financial problems and long-term viability of the U.S. Postal Service. The hearing happened one week after Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe announced plans to end Saturday letter delivery in an effort cut costs.
The chair and ranking member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee testified, disagreeing on whether the postmaster general’s announced move to a five-day letter delivery service was the right one, but saying they believed a bipartisan-bicameral deal was within reach. Mr. Donahoe detailed the postal service’s financial problems and said that according to his attorneys he does have the constitutional authority for his plans. Union leaders and representatives of private industry that rely on Saturday letter mail service protested his plan.