Lawmakers Want More Time

Lawmakers are asking the Postal Service for more time to pass a bill to restructure the agency. The Postal Service has put more than 3,000 post offices on the chopping block, but it has agreed not to close any of them until May 15. Backers of a bill that just passed the Senate say they need more time than that to convince the House to go along with their plan. They warn the Postal Service that any attempts to close offices before the bill becomes law — or "get in under the wire" — would be counterproductive and violate their intent. The bill would make it harder for the agency to close post offices. And there's no guarantee the House will go along with it. A radically different overhaul bill is moving through that chamber.