Today, during a Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC) hearing, U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.) heard from nominees for commissioner to the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) and three Superior Court D.C. judges. During the hearing, Senator Carper emphasized the urgency of Commissioner Robert Taub’s Senate confirmation and applauded the Committee for moving to fill vacancies on the D.C. Superior Court. Earlier this year, the Senator introduced legislation to prevent prolonged vacancies in D.C. courts.
During the hearing, Senator Carper shared his concerns about leaving the Postal Regulatory Commission unstaffed:
“Throughout my time in the Senate, I have worked with a number of my colleagues on this Committee, both Republicans and Democrats, to improve accountability, service, and the financial solvency of the Postal Service. Commissioner Taub, you mentioned in your testimony that the Postal Regulatory Commission provides accountability and oversight of all U.S. Postal Service operations, and that the need for a strong postal regulator has never been more important. I could not agree with you more. While Congress has taken critical action to improve the accountability of the service and financial solvency of the Postal Service, there’s still work to be done to make the Postal Service something we can all be proud of.”
He also discussed how some of the issues facing the Postal Service are affecting Delawareans on a daily basis:
“Last year, my staff and I in Delaware heard from literally thousands of Delawareans about delayed mail delivery, missing packages and letters, and mixed delivery – with some individuals not receiving mail for weeks at a time. […] And following the outrage from dissatisfied constituents, the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (OIG) actually conducted an audit that looked at efficiency and mail delivery at three post offices and one distribution facility in Delaware. […] Alarmingly, the Postal Service OIG shared with our staff and me that the Delaware facilities that they audited had some of the worst results they’ve seen across the board. My staff and I have been told that the Postal Service is implementing the recommendations outlined in the OIG report, but we have concerns about how timely and complete these recommendations have been implemented.”
Senator Carper also highlighted the qualifications of the three judicial nominees and the importance of confirming judges in a timely manner to the D.C. Superior Court:
“Thank you for your willingness to serve in these important posts. I think it’s […] shameful, the way that the Senate has delayed consideration of nominees for judicial posts in the District of Columbia […] I want to commend the Chairman, Senator Peters, for bringing you before us today. And hopefully this sets the stage for moving your nominations forward. Justice delayed is justice denied, and we want to make sure that these positions are filled with well qualified [judges].”