The United States Postal Service will be putting aside its plan to eliminate Saturday mail delivery, at least for now. According to a memo on its site, the USPS blames Congress for passing a continuing budget resolution that contains restrictive language that prohibits a new mail delivery schedule. There was already some question as to whether the plan would go forward or not — since the 1980s, Congress has written in funding for the Post Office as long as i maintains the same service level as 1983. There was some debate on whether or not some provisions had changed that would let the USPS get away with its new plan, but the Post Office is backing down for now.

The proposed plan would have eliminated Saturday standard mail delivery starting in August of this year, while still keeping its profitable package shipping and delivery service running. The USPS had projected its new schedule would generate an annual $2 billion in savings and called the service reduction a "necessary part" of its five-year plan to bring financial security to the ailing organization. In the interim, the USPS board is looking at other ways to increase revenue, including the possibility of raising postage prices. However, the USPS says that it won't be able to improve its financial situation without the reduced schedule — "any rational analysis of our current financial condition and business options leads to this conclusion."