Soon after backers of a major Postal Service reform bill pushed their plan through the U.S. Senate, the Postmaster General gave the effort a big thumbs down, saying Senators are blocking too many of his plans to save money.
"Unfortunately, action by the Senate today falls far short of the Postal Service’s plan," read a statement from the Postal Service Board of Governors.
"We are disappointed that the Senate’s bill would not enable the Postal Service to return to financial viability," the board added.
Also blasting the Senate's effort was a key House lawmaker.
"The Senate's approach is wholly unacceptable," said Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), who is leading reform efforts in the House.
"Worst of all, the Senate bill does not stop the financial collapse of USPS, but only delays it for two years, at best, when reforms will only be more painful," said Issa.
Issa's note of "two years" is an important number to remember. For example, the Senate bill would allow the Postal Service to get rid of Saturday mail delivery - but not for at least two years.
The Senate also approved a ban on the closure of rural post offices for one year, though Senators did defeat a two year ban on all post office closures.
Many Senators don't like the plans of the Post Office to close post offices and mail delivery facilities in their states and districts, convinced there could be savings found somewhere else.
It was almost poetic that the man in the middle of this debate was Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT).
"The Postal Service will only survive if we change it," Lieberman argued on the Senate floor.
"Our bill allows for orderly change," Lieberman added.
But for the Postmaster General, much more than orderly change is needed right now, as he charged the Senate bill wouldn't erase what has become a river of red ink.
"If this bill were to become law, the Postal Service would be back before the Congress within a few years requesting additional legislative reform," said Postmaster General Patrick Donohoe.
Next stop for this fight is the House, where Republicans want to push through a much more dramatic piece of legislation, not one that sort of lets the Postal Service make some cuts, after a year or two.
