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For Immediate Release |
Contact: Robert E. McLean |
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Release No. 01-11 |
703-418-0390 |
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October 31, 2001 |
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WASHINGTON, October 31—Robert E. McLean, executive director of the Mailers Council, issued the following statement today concerning threats to the nation’s mail system and postal employees:
“The Mailers Council, the nation’s largest coalition of mailers and mailing associations, recognizes that the Postal Service is facing the worst crisis in its history. The mailing industry supports all efforts to ensure the safety of the mail, postal employees and the public in response to the contamination of mail by anthrax. We believe it is especially important that the Postal Service continue to do everything it can to ensure the safety of postal employees. We greatly appreciate the work of the nearly 800,000 employees in the face of this unprecedented crisis.
“Mailers continue to use the nation’s postal system to deliver millions of letters, publications, parcels, greeting cards and payments. Our members meet very high standards for ensuring the safety of the mail they use the Postal Service to deliver. Unfortunately, the Postal Service’s cost for providing such an essential national service will escalate tremendously during the coming months. To ensure the safety of the public and postal employees, the Postal Service will have to spend billions in unanticipated expenses.
“Congress must appropriate funds to cover these extraordinary costs. Such an appropriation will both safeguard the public and ensure the continuation of a $900 billion industry that employs over nine million Americans. More importantly, these funds will ensure the continuing, safe operation of a federal agency that is vital to the nation’s communication and commerce networks, and that touches every citizen and business every day. America needs a healthy Postal Service.”
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