HR0691 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0691 LRB103 40229 LAW 72154 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are disappointed to learn of the closure of the Springfield Regional Processing and Distribution Center of the United States Postal Service; and

WHEREAS, The U.S. Postal Service has been a staple of American society during the 248 years of the American experiment, allowing communication and the flow of information from town to town, city to city, and state to state for generations; and

WHEREAS, A year before the official founding of the United States of America, the Continental Congress recognized the need for a postal service by appointing Benjamin Franklin to the office of Postmaster General in 1775; and

WHEREAS, Although advancements in technology and business have made the U.S. Postal Service seemingly a relic of the past, its importance cannot be overstated nor its significance to national security, secure correspondence, and tradition; and

WHEREAS, A local post office connects a small rural town to a larger interconnected network of nationwide communities while offering many beneficial functions, such as arranging the delivery of a care package to a loved one stationed overseas, providing passport applications and renewal services, and making available the purchase of money orders; and

WHEREAS, Massive central hubs and smaller distribution centers may be acceptable for privately owned businesses; however, the U.S. Postal Service is not a privately owned business but is instead a government-owned corporation; and

WHEREAS, The U.S. Postal Service employs roughly 525,469 individuals nationwide, with its staff including mail carriers who deliver mail to your mailbox, mechanics who perform routine vehicle repairs, and clerks behind the counter who remain committed to providing passport services, selling stamps, and weighing and correcting postage for packages to be shipped; and

WHEREAS, The closure of the Springfield Regional Processing and Distribution Center extends beyond its employees, who will potentially lose their jobs, to local residents whose vital mail deliveries will experience delays; and

WHEREAS, The Springfield Regional Processing and Distribution Center employs many, and these individuals alongside various local leaders and other U.S. Postal Service employees recently voiced their concerns regarding the loss of the Springfield Regional Processing and Distribution Center in a robust public gathering; and

WHEREAS, News regarding the closure of the Springfield Regional Processing and Distribution Center and additional processing and distribution centers across the country should not ring in indifferent ears but rather should concern each and every constituent in every district in every state; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge Postmaster General Louis DeJoy to reconsider closing the Springfield Regional Processing and Distribution Center; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be delivered to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy.