WASHINGTON DC,—Today, Congresswoman Terri A. Sewell (D-AL) released the following statement in response to the U.S. Postmaster General Patrick Donahue’s newly released plan to preserve and protect local post offices in rural and small town America:

“I am pleased that Postmaster General Patrick Donahue recently released a new plan for the restructuring of the United States Postal Service. This plan is a vital step forward toward ensuring the future of rural, isolated and underserved communities across this nation. The new plan implements a strategy that would keep rural post offices open for business for thousands of my constituents who depend on the post office for their checks, life-saving medications, packages and bills. Rather than turning toward widespread closures, layoffs and costly reductions in service, the Postmaster General has developed a new strategy aimed at solving this fiscal crisis while ensuring that our nation’s underserved communities still have access to vital lifelines for commerce and communications.

I applaud the Postal Service for taking decisive action to create a more efficient business model for the United States Postal Service. It is my hope that we develop a comprehensive postal service reform plan that will invest in both urban and rural communities and continue trusted, timely, reliable and affordable services.”