President Bush this week is expected to sign a $20 billion homeland defense bill providing the U.S. Postal Service with millions to rid the mail stream of anthrax and other biological agents.
The much debated appropriations bill, HR-3338, was overwhelmingly approved by the House and Senate last week. The House vote was 408-6 and the Senate vote was 94-2.
"Although it is not everything the postal service asked for, the Direct Marketing Association is very, very pleased that the bill was finally passed," said Jerry Cerasale, senior vice president, government affairs. "It represents the first payment towards the postal service's recovery from last September's events."
Two months ago Postmaster General John Potter asked Congress for a total of $5 billion, $3 billion for mail sanitation equipment and $2 billion to help the USPS recoup money lost because of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington.
Cerasale, anticipating that Congress will be considering a similar bill next year, said the DMA "hoped to be involved" in helping the postal service get what money it needs to not only sanitize the mail stream but to recover losses stemming from the terrorist attacks.
When the bill is signed into law, various federal, state and local homeland security programs will share $8.3 billion. In addition New York City would receive $8.2 billion in extraordinary federal aid, various public health agencies would share $2.5 billion to fight bioterrorism and $226 million would finance various programs to keep rogue nations and guerilla forces from developing nuclear weapons.
