HR0376 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0376 LRB104 13633 ECR 26267 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The dedicated postal workers of the United States Postal Service (USPS) provide a vital service to the American public, ensuring the safe and efficient passage of the mail in order to connect individuals, communities, and businesses, pursuant to their constitutionally mandated duty; and

WHEREAS, Benjamin Franklin was appointed to serve as the first Postmaster General in what is now the United States by the Continental Congress in 1775; since then, the history of the USPS has been interwoven with that of the country it serves; and

WHEREAS, For the first decades of the postal service, postage paid only for the delivery of mail from one post office to another, but in response to the needs and wants of Americans during the Civil War, the postal service launched free delivery in cities under the guidance of Postmaster General Montgomery Blair in 1863; and

WHEREAS, In the 1890s, Postmaster General John Wanamaker began campaigning to extend free delivery to rural communities, promoting rural free delivery as a way to help businesses expand their markets, ensure residents could receive vital and important information from newspapers, and help ease isolation and connect communities; and

WHEREAS, Reflecting the march of the United States towards freedom and equality for all Americans, the postal service has been home to many groundbreaking public servants, including Mary Katherine Goddard, the first known woman postmaster in what would become the United States and the first woman to be a manager in the federal government, William Cooper Nell, an abolitionist and civil rights champion who became the first known Black American civilian employee of the federal government, and William H. Carney, the first African American to earn the Medal of Honor; and

WHEREAS, Over 10% of the USPS workforce, making up more than 72,000 Americans, are military veterans, which is nearly twice as high as the representation of veterans in other civilian fields; and

WHEREAS, The USPS has regularly demonstrated the use of technology and innovation in public service, including opening the world's first public telegraph line in 1845, testing the first electric vehicle for mail delivery in 1899, and helping give birth to the commercial aviation industry by proving the viability of commercial flight through its airmail service in 1918; and

WHEREAS, Musician John Prine, actor Rock Hudson, and animator and media mogul Walt Disney all delivered mail or worked at post offices in Illinois before becoming successful professionals in artistic fields; and

WHEREAS, Through the Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee, the USPS helps support American artists by commissioning stamp designs to recognize significant moments and people in American history, science, technology, art, education, sports, and other areas of public interest; and

WHEREAS, Postal workers, including carriers, distribution agents, mail clerks, truck drivers, and support staff, are dedicated public servants who process and deliver letters between family members, packages for service members overseas, prescriptions for seniors, election mail, correspondence and parcels between businesses, and more; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we commend the employees of the United States Postal Service (USPS) for their outstanding service to the communities of the United States and for their hard work, dedication, and commitment to delivering for America; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the leadership of the USPS as a symbol of our respect and esteem.