Politics of Rural Post Offices and Smaller Processing Plants

Rural postal services is likely to be the primary stumbling block to getting Postal Service reform legislation through the House of Representatives.  Some of the most active opponents of changes that the Postal Service want to make are influential members of the House Republican caucus and many have been outspoken critics of federal spending.   What these Republicans have in common is that they represent some of the most rural areas in the United States. 

Here is some background on two of the harshest Republican critics of the changes that the Postal Service wants to make.  These two members of the Republican caucus that come from opposite wings of the caucus and illustrates that opposition to changes that affect rural areas will affect

Congresswoman Jo Ann Emerson (R-MO)  is a nine term Congresswoman from Southeastern Missouri  She is Chair of United States House Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government and Vice Chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch.   She is a member of the moderate Republican Main Street Partnership, and the bipartisan Center Isle Caucus.  

Congresswoman Emerson has stated her opposition to both closing rural Post Offices and cutting delivery to 5-days per week most recently in an op-ed in the Rolla Daily News.

Congressman Steven King (R-IA) is a five term Congressman from northwestern Iowa.   He is well known fiscal and social conservative who was one of only 11 members of the House of Representatives to oppose supplemental funding for Katrina recovery.  He is a member of both the Tea Party Caucus and the Republican Study Committee.  

Congressman King has been actively working to prevent the closure of the mail processing plant in Sioux City Iowa as well as post offices in his district.  His office recently released a set of correspondence with the Postal Service and complained about Postal Service stalling in answering requests for more information about the Sioux Falls processing plant closure  Both he and Iowa's Senators are pushing to get a delay in plant's closure to allow local officials to present an alternative plan.