THE DMA APPLAUDS INTRODUCTION OF POSTAL REFORM LEGISLATION BY SENATORS COLLINS AND CARPER

 

NEW YORK, May 20, 2004 - The Direct Marketing Association (The DMA) applauded Senate Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Susan Collins (R-ME) and Sen. Thomas Carper (D-DE), who today introduced a Senate postal reform bill.

 

Introduction of this measure will continue to build momentum for postal reform in the 108th Congress.  Today's bill introduction comes just one week after the House Government Reform Committee unanimously approved H.R. 4341, the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act.

 

"We appreciate the continued leadership of Senator Collins on matters of importance to the business mailing community and Senator Carper's strong support of these efforts," said H. Robert Wientzen, president & CEO, The DMA. "They and the Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs have been vigorously working to craft and enact postal reform legislation this year."

 

"We look forward to continuing to work closely with both Senators and their staffs, the Committee on Governmental Affairs, Members of the Senate, and those in the House who have been so helpful in this pursuit to achieve a sustainable business model for the U.S. Postal Service that will enable it to deliver reliable, affordable, and universal postal services well into the 21st century," Wientzen said.

 

"The bill introduced today reflects the fact that the sponsors are mindful of the complexity and importance of this endeavor," Wientzen noted.

 

"Postal reform legislation is of vital importance to the members of The DMA, The DMA Nonprofit Federation (DMANF), and, indeed, all corporate and nonprofit mailers, as well as the general public," said Wientzen. "A $900 billion industry that directly employs more than nine million Americans is in jeopardy unless meaningful reforms are enacted soon."

 

"On a personal note, I want to express my appreciation for the opportunity that Senator Collins afforded me to represent the direct mail industry in hearings before her committee," said Wientzen.

 

"It is essential that the direct marketing industry remains engaged in this important pursuit," Wientzen added.

 

About The DMA

 

The DMA is the leading trade association for businesses interested in interactive and database marketing, with nearly 4,700 member companies from the United States and 53 other nations.  Founded in 1917, its members include direct marketers from every business segment as well as the nonprofit and electronic marketing sectors.  Included are catalogers, Internet retailers and service providers, financial services providers, book and magazine publishers, book and music clubs, retail stores, industrial manufacturers and a host of other vertical segments, including the service industries that support them.  According to a DMA-commissioned economic-impact study, direct and interactive marketing sales in the United States are projected to have surpassed $1.7 trillion in 2003, including $133 billion in catalog sales and $41 billion in sales generated by the Internet.  The DMA's Web site is www.the-dma.org, and its consumer Web site is www.shopthenet.org.
 
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