The video session focuses on a Senate hearing where Sen. Josh Hawley examines the nominees for the U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors. He questions their knowledge and commitment regarding the newly proposed Regional transportation optimization Plan and its impact on rural postal services. The inquiry is stimulated by concerns raised by the Missouri Farm Bureau about the decrease in mail services to rural areas due to this plan.

During the hearing, Sen. Hawley asks each nominee to express their understanding and stance on the plan, emphasizing the plan's impact on rural communities which are central to their states and constituents. He underscores concerns that 70% of first class mail volume in rural regions would be downgraded. The nominees are urged to consider the detrimental effects on these communities and whether they would act to mitigate them if confirmed.

Main takeaways from the video:

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Key Vocabularies and Common Phrases:

1. significance [sɪɡˈnɪfɪkəns] - (noun) - The quality of being important or of giving meaning. - Synonyms: (importance, consequence, weight)

Let me just ask you, speaking about the significance, just picking up where Senator Butler left off, actually.

2. transportation [ˌtrænspərˈteɪʃən] - (noun) - The act of moving something or someone from one place to another. - Synonyms: (conveyance, movement, mobility)

Yesterday, the Missouri Farm Bureau, which is my state's largest general farm organization, wrote to the Postmaster General regarding the latest plans that the Postal Service has that they're calling the Regional transportation optimization Plan.

3. optimization [ˌɒptɪmaɪˈzeɪʃən] - (noun) - The action of making the best or most effective use of a situation or resource. - Synonyms: (improvement, enhancement, maximization)

Yesterday, the Missouri Farm Bureau, which is my state's largest general farm organization, wrote to the Postmaster General regarding the latest plans that the Postal Service has that they're calling the Regional transportation optimization Plan

4. rural [ˈrʊrəl] - (adjective) - Relating to the countryside as opposed to the city or town. - Synonyms: (country, rustic, pastoral)

Let me just ask you, speaking about the significance, just picking up where Senator Butler left off, actually. About the significance of delivery for rural communities which characterizes so much of my state, so much of Kansas and where I grew up.

5. nominee [ˌnɒmɪˈniː] - (noun) - A person who is proposed or formally entered as a candidate for an office or as the recipient of a grant or award. - Synonyms: (candidate, entrant, appointee)

Congratulations to all the nominees. Thank you for being here.

6. influence [ˈɪnfluəns] - (noun) - The capacity to have an effect on the character, development, or behavior of someone or something. - Synonyms: (impact, sway, authority)

Would you commit to using your, your position here, your very significant position of influence and oversight to reconsider this proposal.

7. constituents [kənˈstɪtʃuənts] - (noun) - A member of a constituency, people represented by an elected official. - Synonyms: (voters, electors, inhabitants)

There are 350 million constituents for the post office and if rural communities are really being impacted negatively, I think the USPS needs to learn from that and account for that as part of its mission and make sure that service is not sacrificed.

8. obligation [ˌɒblɪˈɡeɪʃən] - (noun) - An act or course of action to which a person is morally or legally bound; a duty or commitment. - Synonyms: (duty, responsibility, commitment)

That is in conflict with the universal service obligation.

9. confirmed [kənˈfɜːrmd] - (verb) - To establish the truth or correctness of something previously believed or suspected. - Synonyms: (verified, validated, affirmed)

So, yes, if confirmed, I would commit to getting these post offices reopened as soon as possible.

10. fidelity [fɪˈdɛlɪti] - (noun) - Faithfulness to a person, cause, or belief, demonstrated by continuing loyalty and support. - Synonyms: (loyalty, allegiance, fealty)

Because I'm really concerned about this and I'll be honest with you, if we can't get some fidelity on this and if I can't get your commitment.

Hawley Demands U.S. Postal Service Nominees Advocate For Mail Delivery Improvements In Rural America

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Congratulations to all the nominees. Thank you for being here. Mr. Zollers, let me just start with you, since you're from my neck of the woods, so to speak. Although I think, I think you're a Kansas resident. Isn't that right? Kansas side of Kansas City? I'm on the wrong side of the line. Well, yeah, we'll try not to try to overlook that, but I've been on the other side of the line. Well, good. Well, I hope, I hope I've lived on the Missouri side. Okay, well, good. I'm warming right up to you. This is getting better and better.

Let me just ask you, speaking about the significance, just picking up where Senator Butler left off, actually. About the significance of delivery for rural communities which characterizes so much of my state, so much of Kansas and where I grew up. I grew up in a town of 4,000 people. Yesterday, the Missouri Farm Bureau, which is my state's largest general farm organization, wrote to the Postmaster General regarding the latest plans that the Postal Service has that they're calling the Regional transportation optimization Plan. And as the Farm Bureau, Missouri Farm Bureau points out, what this plan amounts to is to eliminate end of day collection at post offices that are more than 50 miles from one of the nation's 60 regional processing and distribution centers and to take other actions that would reduce the mail flow to rural America.

I think we have a poster. Let's just look here. So that means everywhere in blue. Everywhere in blue would lose mail pickup and some delivery and experienced reduced mail volume to residents. That's a lot of the country. That's most of my state. That's most of your state. Mr. Zollers, the farm Bureau has very significant concerns about this and frankly, so do I. I've asked the Postmaster General about this myself and raised concerns just a month ago.

But I want to point out something in the Farm Bureau letter that's particularly interesting. According to the USPS's own analysis, nearly 70% of first class mail volume in rural areas would, would experience significant downgrades under this plan. 70%. That's a big number. So first Mr. Chairman, with, with your permission without objection, I'd like to enter this letter into the record. Without objection. Thank you.

Mr. Zollers, can I just ask you, are you familiar with this Regional transportation optimization Plan plan? I've been out of the service of the Board of Governors for a year, so I don't know what's happening today. I wasn't aware of the specifics of, of that letter or what's going on with the, with the current rural approach to mail delivery. But I'm generally aware of the plan, yes.

Do you support its implementation? I support the implementation of the DFA When I was there, as I said, I don't know what adjustments have been made in the last year. Well, I'm sorry, the DFA Delivering for America plan, which is the 10 year and of which this is a subset. This is a subset of that. Correct. So would you support this? What I have on the, on this board behind. I don't really have enough detail to let you know one way or the other.

Well, let me ask you this. Would you commit to, if you are reappointed, would you commit to using your, your position here, your very significant position of influence and oversight to reconsider this proposal and make sure that rural Americans in my state, your state, every state, are getting full and regular delivery of the mail? As a member of the flyover country community, absolutely.

Let me just ask the other nominees this Mr. Hartogenesis, are you familiar with this plan, the Regional optimization plan? Not in detail enough to, you know, as this map is. Do you support its implementation? Well, from what I understand of the plan, there are good reasons for the, the plan in terms of the long term modernization of the postal Service. I do think it's important to take into account these types of concerns.

There are 350 million constituents for the post office and if rural communities are really being impacted negatively, I think the USPS needs to learn from that and account for that as part of its mission and make sure that service is not sacrificed. So that sounds like a little bit of a yes and a little bit of a no. On the, just on the Regional transportation optimization Plan itself. Do you support its implementation based on what you know? Based on what? I know I support the plan in terms of modernization of the usps. Like I'm not in the know enough to understand the exact impacts on rural communities. But I think that as a member of the board of governors, if confirmed, I think that we would need to look at that.

Okay, it sounds like what I'm going to need to do is I'm going to need to follow up in writing with both of you. Maybe I'll give you an opportunity to look at the details because I'm really concerned about this. I'm really concerned about this and I'll be honest with you, if we can't get some fidelity on this and if I can't get your commitment that we're going to make sure that people in blue here don't lose 70% of their mail volume or have 70% of that volume downgraded.

I'm going to have a really hard time advancing your nominations. Congresswoman, can I just ask you, are you familiar with this plan? Do you support it? Senator Hawley, I am not familiar with that plan. But if confirmed, I certainly want to gather all of the information and all of the data that would justify implementation of this plan. Because it appears to me, just based on what you have shared with us, that is in conflict with the universal service obligation.

Indeed. And I do see Florida on your map as well. Right. Some parts. Some significant areas in Florida, which the overwhelming majority of the state really is rural. And so I will definitely do my research to make sure that what we are supporting continues to meet the mission of the post office. And I think you've heard my concern for rural areas in our country. Good.

I appreciate that. I will follow up with all three of you. I'll let you all look at this plan and do some homework on it, and then we'll follow up in writing.

For the record, in my remaining time here, I know Senator Ossoff wants to ask questions, and I think maybe, Mr. Chairman, we could do a second round after. I want to let Senator Ossoff go. But just Senator Ossoff a couple extra minutes. If you could do that, that would be fine. We won't have time for another round, so. Okay. That's fine. Okay. I'll have a soft gavel with Senator Ossoff's acquiescence. Okay.

Let me ask the three of you about just following up again on something Senator Butler talked about. That is the delay in rebuilding post offices in Baring, Missouri. This is Knox County. A little over a year ago, we had an EF2 tornado that knocked out the post office. The Bering Post office. We're over a year on from that now. Still not reopened.

Now, the postmaster has sat right where you're sitting. I asked him about this. He pledged to me that he would get it rebuilt, reopened. I just want to know from your perspectives, are you willing to commit to me today that if confirmed, you will work to get rural post offices, all post offices. But it's particularly acute in our rural areas that have been put out of service. Will you commit to me to working to get those reopened on a timely basis? You think about this community. This is a small community. They have been without mail. Essentially, they got to go drive somewhere far.

They've been without mail for over a year. A year. I mean, that's frankly, I think it's ridiculous. It's so bad that I've introduced legislation that would create a statutory requirement to rebuild these post offices in a timely fashion. So let me just ask you. And after that, I have one more question. Let me just ask you if you're willing to commit to working on this and to making sure we get these post offices reopened when they are damaged.

We'll start with you, Congresswoman McDonald, in Florida. We also have some extreme weather issues to deal with. So, yes, if confirmed, I would commit to getting these post offices reopened as soon as possible. I commit to that as well. I would commit that as well. Okay, thank you.

POLITICS, LEADERSHIP, ECONOMICS, RURAL SERVICES, POSTAL SERVICE, GOVERNMENT HEARING, SENATOR JOSH HAWLEY