Washington, D.C. - The Greeting Card Association (GCA) and the National Rural Letter Carriers’ Association (NRLCA) issued the following joint statement in advance of the House Committee On Oversight & Government Reform hearing, calling for meaningful reforms to strengthen the Postal Service, and condemning proposals that would cut essential services, such as six-day delivery:

"The GCA and NRLCA strongly oppose Congress's constant attempts to eliminate essential services such as six-day delivery" said Rafe Morrissey, GCA Vice President of Postal Affairs."This action would only serve to place a competitive disadvantage on the Postal Service and do nothing to fix the organization's financial problems. Additionally, the estimated savings assumed by proponents of these cuts are inflated and unrealistic, as they fail to factor in the costs of continued weekend parcel delivery. The Postal Service is in need of true reform, not shortsighted cuts that would fail to solve current budgetary problems and diminish the agency’s ability to provide universal services relied upon by millions of Americans.

"The NRLCA and its members are proud to stand alongside the Greeting Card Association in support of six day mail delivery," said Jeanette Dwyer, President of the National Rural Letter Carriers' Association. "Americans nationwide have come to rely on the ability to send and receive mail on Saturdays, and the success of Sunday parcel delivery shows that there is increasing demand for delivery services. As the Postal Service looks to grow and thrive in the 21st century, scaling back delivery services is a misguided step backward that sends the wrong message to the Postal Service’s customers and partners."