Oregon US Representative DeFazio Asks for 100,000 Signatures To Avoid Post Office Cuts

U.S. Representative Peter DeFazio and a group of Oregon state lawmakers are pushing for federal legislation they say would avoid the need for postal service cuts.

The politicians gathered with postal workers in a rally on the steps of the state Capitol in Salem on Tuesday. .
DeFazio is trying to collect signatures on a petition to the White House.

"You have to get a 100,000 people to sign this petition…..we worded it very specifically, they can't weasel out of it. They're gonna have to take a position on saving the post office. Whether they endorse our legislation -- my bipartisan, bicameral legislation that's been introduced in the House and Senate and enjoys more support than any other bill related to the postal service, we gotta get 100,000 people to sign up."

As of Wednesday morning, over 13,000 signatures were gathered.

The legislation would prohibit certain cuts and eliminate a requirement for the Postal Service to pre-fund retirees' health care.

Facing severe shortfalls, the U.S. Postal Service has proposed closing mail-processing facilities and some post offices. The USPS has abandoned an earlier plan to eliminate Saturday delivery.

Click here for the link to the petition.