James Comer

Mr. COMER

Mr. COMER. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. COMER. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Rouzer).

Mr. COMER. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx), who has worked steadfastly and been on board and had significant input in this bill from day one.

Mr. COMER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, Americans hold the United States Postal Service in extremely high regard, and that is for good reason. All rely on it for our paychecks, medications, news, magazines, and correspondence with loved ones. And now, more than ever, Americans enjoy the conveniences of e-commerce no matter where they live in this great Nation. The United States Postal Service is truly one of our prized national assets. But, as we know, the Postal Service has faced financial trouble for many years. Service delays stemming from an unreliable and outdated delivery network, a drastic historical decrease in mail revenue, and a sustained surge in labor-intensive packages, have all contributed to the organization's struggles. The rise and dominance of the internet has completely changed the way people shop, pay bills, and generally communicate. It has changed in ways that could not have even been envisioned in the 1970s, when Congress established today's independently operated Postal Service. We need to face the music. The days of letters alone driving the Postal Service's revenue are not coming back. And with this national pandemic, we have seen what happens when the Postal Service is stressed to its operational limits. The dual challenges of workforce shortages and a surge in package volume across its delivery network plainly exposed the inability for the Postal Service to adapt to modern challenges. I stand here today, after more than a year of bipartisan work with my colleague, Chairwoman Maloney, to call for the House to pass the bipartisan Postal Service Reform Act of 2022. This targeted bill addresses the immediate needs of the Postal Service to help it succeed into the 21st century. H.R. 3076 bolsters Postal Service-led operational reforms that are already showing success with better revenue and delivery performance. For example, the Postal Service saw one of the busiest holiday seasons ever this past year. And even this current White House could not ignore the fact that nearly 99 percent of consumers received their packages on time or with minimal delays. This was done under the leadership of Postmaster General DeJoy, and in the face of constant challenges brought about by the pandemic and the current political climate. Coupled with the Postmaster General's ambitious and comprehensive 10- year reform plan are two legislative requests impacting the Postal Service's ability to operate profitably in the years to come. First, the well-intentioned 2006 legislative requirement that the Postal Service prefund the retiree health benefits of all future potential costs has proven unworkable and counterproductive. H.R. 3076 repeals this requirement, while continuing to require annual payments for what is owed to postal retirees. This helps alleviate immediate financial stresses, while still protecting the workforce's earned retirement health benefits. Secondly, the Postmaster General has sought legislation to seamlessly transition the postal workforce into Medicare upon retirement, rather than continuing as the primary payer for retiree health benefits. Congress has told the Postal Service it has to act like a business, and this is not something businesses do. Businesses offer secondary coverage to wrap-around Medicare benefits, and that is what Congress should allow the Postal Service to do as well. This is sensible policy in keeping with the practices of private-sector businesses. Postal Service retirees have been paying into Medicare their entire careers and, next to the Federal Government itself, the Postal Service is the largest contributor to the Medicare Trust Fund in the Nation. Together, these two legislative provisions requested by Postmaster General DeJoy are projected to help the Postal Service break even in the coming years. However, I have made it clear that Republicans need to see solutions that would also allow the Postal Service to fundamentally improve its business model. Our reform bill is designed around the Postal Service's current operational reform plans. Additionally, our bill makes sure Congress has key oversight tools. For instance, our bill establishes a public-facing, online dashboard with full local mail delivery performance data. This will provide necessary transparency into the on-time delivery of mail, and equip every House Member to conduct oversight of mail performance in their local communities. Congress should not be caught off guard as we were in early 2020 as the pandemic accelerated performance problems in real time. My colleagues should also consider what this targeted reform bill does not do. Our legislation does not include draconian cuts to service delivery, such as post office closures, or decreasing delivery to residences. Our bill keeps the needs of rural Postal Service customers front and center. For instance, the bill codifies the 6-day delivery of mail and packages, which provides assurance to businesses and rural communities alike. And importantly, our reform bill does all of this without taking the easy approach of a bailout or increasing the budget. In fact, the bill is projected to save over a billion dollars of tax funds over the next decade, over a billion dollars. Chairwoman Maloney and I have worked closely on receiving the input from the Postal Service and industry groups large and small, and have come to an agreement that we believe will have a real impact. I am very proud of this product, this bipartisan work. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. COMER. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Rodney Davis), the ranking member of the House Administration Committee.

Mr. COMER. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Grothman), who also serves as ranking subcommittee member on the House Committee on Oversight and Reform.

Mr. COMER. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bacon).

Mr. COMER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Young), the dean of the House.

Mr. COMER. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from North Dakota (Mr. Armstrong), who has been a strong supporter of reform from day one.

Mr. COMER. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Malliotakis).

Mr. COMER. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Tenney).

Mr. COMER. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fitzpatrick).

Mr. COMER

Mr. COMER. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize Hope That Binds, a ministry based out of Cunningham, Kentucky, that supports west Kentucky families by providing critical adoption resources. Hope That Binds is an outstanding regional leader when it comes to helping families pursuing adoption through financial assistance and counseling. I am proud of my constituents, Wendy Davis-Wilson, Jeff and Benita Davis, Brooke Kelly, and Gracie Reynolds, for their significant contributions to this great organization. Adoption provides a home for needy children as well as an opportunity to raise a child for hopeful parents. Belonging to a family is a natural and vital component of life, and every child deserves a loving and nurturing home. Hope That Binds' commitment to the gift and treasure of adoption is heartwarming and a great example of giving back to the less vulnerable. February 7 to 11 is a week of celebration and awareness for this wonderful nonprofit, and I am proud to recognize them for their incredible work. On behalf of my constituents, I congratulate Hope That Binds for supporting some of the most vulnerable members of our society.

Mr. COMER

Mr. COMER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Matt Pedigo of Allen County, Kentucky, who recently retired as general manager of the Citizen-Times newspaper in Scottsville. After 22 years of reporting on the community he loves, Matt decided to put down his pen and pursue other ventures. At a time when many people are distrustful of the agenda of the media, Matt has been a shining star over the years, accurately reporting on current events and happenings in Allen County. Through numerous interviews and conversations with Matt during my years in public service, I grew to appreciate his work ethic, knowledge of the issues, and passion for sharing the news with his community. While he may be retiring, I know from my interactions with Matt that he is not finished making positive contributions to the community of Allen County and south-central Kentucky. I wish him nothing but the best in a well-earned retirement from journalism.

Mr. COMER

Mr. COMER. Madam Speaker, on behalf of all the citizens of west Kentucky, I thank everyone in America for the outpouring of support, the prayers, the financial support, the people who took off and traveled to west Kentucky to help remove debris and save people who were trapped under roofs and buildings that had collapsed. The devastation there is unlike anything I have ever seen. And in talking to the media that is all in Mayfield, Kentucky, right now as we speak, it is the worst damage they have ever seen from a tornado. But the people in west Kentucky are resilient. They have so much pride in their communities. Neighbor has helped neighbor, and that will continue. I ask, Madam Speaker, for a moment of silence on the House floor to remember the 74 citizens of Kentucky who perished in the terrible series of tornadoes that swept through our State this weekend.

Mr. COMER. Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. COMER

Mr. COMER. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. COMER. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. COMER. I reclaim my time. They spent a lot of time, a lot of time, a lot of effort, a lot of tax dollars on trying to peddle a lot of wrongdoing in the previous administration. This bill is all about the previous administration. Every speaker on their side of the aisle has mentioned Donald Trump's name numerous times, every speaker. It is time for the majority party to focus on governing and get over their obsession with Donald Trump. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. COMER. I think that everyone has seen all the information, again, that you all have peddled. I am curious if you would like to take a wager on which President's child, which President's son, at the end of the day, once we have the gavel, will be the greatest security risk to our Nation, Hunter Biden or--

Mr. COMER. Are you aware of the President's son's dealings in Congo with the cobalt mine? Are you aware of the dealings in Ukraine?

Mr. COMER. I think it is great. Are you aware of President Biden's son Hunter's art dealings?

Mr. COMER. Would you yield to a question?

Mr. COMER. I think we see every day. Facebook just announced that Russia was trying to do a Facebook campaign in Ukraine, if I remember reading that correctly. Mr. Schiff, would you yield to a question from me?

Mr. COMER. I think everyone is aware of every bit of information that you all have tried to peddle over the past 4 years.