With No Debt Limit Vote, House Turns To Naming Post Offices
Email
ABC News' Amy Bingham reports:
Despite what some government officials have billed as a possible financial Armageddon looming four days away and with no viable deal yet reached to raise the debt ceiling, lawmakers took a break from the debt debate Thursday night.
What did they turn to? Post offices.
Eight post office naming bills came to the House floor just two days after the U.S. Postal Service announced its plans to close nearly 3,700 post offices this year in order to deal with its $8.3 billion budget deficit.
Find out more about closing post offices
The first naming bill debated was for a post office in Peoria, Illinois, a state which may lose more than 100 post offices within the year. The bill would name a postal building after Charles “Chip” Lawrence Chan, who worked in the World Trade Center and was killed in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack.
Another bill was to name a post office in Pasadena, California the “First Lieutenant Oliver Goodall Post Office Building," in honor of a decorated African American air force pilot. Goodall “challenged the segregation of the officers club” and was arrested for it, said the bill’s sponsor Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif.
“This is a worthy man to honor. He had a life that served many people,” Rep. James Lankford, R-Okla., said on the House floor.
One bill passed with a voice vote, but votes on the other seven were postponed.
So far this year, almost 50 bills to rename post offices have been introduced. Three of those bills have made it to the president’s desk, representing a full 13 percent of all legislation signed by President Obama this year.
Throughout the previous legislative session, the 111th Congress introduced 427 bills to name post offices and passed more than 70 of them.
Haley Barbour: GOP Candidates Haven't Made the Case 
White House Loves Aggressive Journalism ... Abroad
Way to show leadership, guys. Run out of win tastings to attend with your friends from blue cross/blue shield, Mckesson, JP Morgan Chase, BoA? You know, the guys you took millions from to hold us hostage for their tax breaks?
The GOP is not just crooked, their incompetent, can’t even pass legislation.
Posted by: mjw149 | July 28, 2011, 7:16 pm 7:16 pm
The Republicans need to wait until Sunday or Monday to approve the Boehner bill so that the Senate has one bite at the apple!
Posted by: Voice_Reason | July 28, 2011, 7:36 pm 7:36 pm
If this wasn’t so scary it would be hilarious.
Posted by: Jasper | July 28, 2011, 7:48 pm 7:48 pm
I guess Mr Obama has another plan somewhere. He will probably announce it August 3.
Posted by: kottaras | July 28, 2011, 7:52 pm 7:52 pm
These people are Holding America and it’s future hostage with their immaturity and lack of knowledge of How our country was founded. See ‘em in 2012
Posted by: raven wilson | July 28, 2011, 7:57 pm 7:57 pm
Well, as long as they’re focused on the important matters of state…….
Posted by: Searambler | July 28, 2011, 8:23 pm 8:23 pm
“So far this year, almost 50 bills to rename post offices have been introduced. Three of those bills have made it to the president’s desk, representing a full 13 percent of all legislation signed by President Obama this year.”
Ladies and gentlemen, YOUR House of Representatives at work!!!
WHERE ARE THE JOBS MR. BOEHNER??????
Posted by: Searambler | July 28, 2011, 8:24 pm 8:24 pm
“Unfortunately, Congress consistently brings the government to the edge of default before facing its responsibility. This brinkmanship threatens the holders of government bonds and those who rely on Social Security and veterans benefits. Interest markets would skyrocket. Instability would occur in financial markets and the federal deficit would soar. The United States has a special responsibility to itself and the world to meet its obligations. It means we have a well-earned reputation for reliability and credibility — two things that set us apart in much of the world.” ——- Ronald Reagan, September 1987…….
Posted by: Searambler | July 28, 2011, 8:28 pm 8:28 pm
Searambler Thats no fair putting their hero’s words back at them :)
Posted by: John | July 28, 2011, 8:46 pm 8:46 pm
Really? Really? Way to set priorities. If this is how Congress sets priorities, then this country is doomed.
Posted by: Catherine | July 28, 2011, 8:48 pm 8:48 pm
“and those who rely on Social Security and veterans benefits.”
The only person who can stop payment is the President, there are safeguards to insure that these get paid. As for bond holders who do you think holds the biggest pile of bonds? The FED. The way the government shafted bond holders but paid the unions in the GM bailout so I say “pot meet the kettle”.
At some point in time Politicians have to stop running the country like pay day loan addicts. If the average person has had to cut back what is so terrible in having the government do the same?
Posted by: david | July 28, 2011, 8:49 pm 8:49 pm
“The fact that we are here today to debate raising America’s debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the U.S. Government can’t pay its own bills. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our Government’s reckless fiscal policies.
Over the past 5 years, our federal debt has increased by $3.5 trillion to $8.6 trillion.That is “trillion” with a “T.” That is money that we have borrowed from the Social Security trust fund, borrowed from China and Japan, borrowed from American taxpayers. And over the next 5 years, between now and 2011, the President’s budget will increase the debt by almost another $3.5 trillion.”
Senator Barack Obama
Senate Floor Speech on Public Debt
March 16, 2006
Posted by: kate | July 28, 2011, 9:24 pm 9:24 pm
And we’re paying them to do this… a lot of people are and will suffer if this is allowed to continue.I would bet that our dear congress would have had the deficit settled long ago if their pay checks were in jeopardy like our veterans, other government workers and those depending on social security. So, why aren’t they? Maybe it would keep this from happening again if they had to worry like we do.
Posted by: Karen | July 28, 2011, 9:30 pm 9:30 pm
“With No Debt Limit Vote, House Turns To Naming Post Offices” – ABC News
Smart move.
Now if they name one
Harry Reid’s Palace of Postage
and another one
Bama’s Bargain Basement Mail Room
then they may get a Bill that raises the Debt Ceiling and has real Budget Cuts passed through the Senate and signed by NoBo.
Posted by: Noz | July 28, 2011, 9:57 pm 9:57 pm
OMG, they got off the abortion kick for a minute? I never thought I’d see the day.
Posted by: MaeMobly | July 28, 2011, 10:13 pm 10:13 pm
They’re naming post offices?! It’s beyond belief. It’s like some scene out of the movie “Dr. Strangelove”. The ship is going down and they’re still playing games on the cruise ship deck. Totally, I mean totally out-of-touch.
Posted by: hopesprings52 | July 28, 2011, 10:42 pm 10:42 pm
VOICE_REASON – you mean take a bite from the POISON apple because it sure would do that to the US. S&P has already said Boehner’s plan would cause a downgrade in our credit rating.
Posted by: BoboMcStevens | July 28, 2011, 10:51 pm 10:51 pm
Unbelievable. Who would believe Congress spent any time naming Post Offices. What a waste of time and the public’s money. They really are idiots. They are there to help this country, to work on job creation which is why many of these nitwits were elected.
Posted by: Vicki | July 28, 2011, 11:31 pm 11:31 pm
These morons are clueless. Whatever happened to the debt ceiling legislation? Never mind, the votes just aren’t there. Nice try.
Posted by: what667 | July 29, 2011, 1:10 am 1:10 am
Oh, well, Boehner and his tea party rascals have nothing worthwhile to do. They are naming post offices, and they will get paid for a job well done.
Posted by: what667 | July 29, 2011, 1:20 am 1:20 am
First off, seriously? Are these the same people who complain day to day regarding waste in govt? Seriously? So I guess after we rename Post Offices that we spend money to hang great big signs on them with the new name? These people are unbelievable.
Posted by: DK | July 29, 2011, 1:51 am 1:51 am
Perhaps naming post offices is more in line with their qualifications. They sure aren’t worth crap in a crisis. Raising the debt ceiling should not have been included with all their other issues. It should have been a simple vote to raise it and THEN start working on debt reductions.
Posted by: CarolO | July 29, 2011, 3:02 am 3:02 am
Suffer the poor American citizens and taxpayers that they should be blessed with the political idiots and morons who are running this great country.
Posted by: RedDogg | July 29, 2011, 4:07 am 4:07 am
The logic seems to be… “If a post office gets a new name and all new signs, it can never be closed.”
Posted by: Juliannas_Uncle | July 29, 2011, 6:27 am 6:27 am
So what is the Senate doing? Nothing as usual. Records show this is the least productive Senate since they started keeping records. Harry can’t even pass is on plan in the Senate, where is your headlines about that? The House gave the Senate a great plan to put us on the path to saving our country and Harry tables it. Where is those headlines?
Posted by: Freedom | July 29, 2011, 8:49 am 8:49 am
“OMG, they got off the abortion kick for a minute?” – Maemobly
You mean that issue where mother’s get the right to murder their babies?
Posted by: Noz | July 29, 2011, 8:49 am 8:49 am
Why is that when right-wingers post comments, it becomes clear that they do not understand civics, and get their news almost entirely from teevee (Faux News)?
Posted by: Craig | July 29, 2011, 9:49 am 9:49 am
Smart move post office going broke loosing billions so lets name them you can.t make this bs up.
Posted by: daniel | July 30, 2011, 8:25 am 8:25 am
Hi, just wanted to mention, I enjoyed this article. It was inspiring. Keep on posting!
Posted by: Scot Kot | February 21, 2012, 10:32 am 10:32 am