USPS backs off plan to stop Saturday delivery

WASHINGTON (CNN MONEY) -- The U.S. Postal Service has backed down from its plan to stop Saturday mail delivery.

The postal service's board said Wednesday that it will continue to deliver mail six days a week. In February, the agency announced a plan to stop delivering mail on Saturdays, except for packages and express mail.

The board said Wednesday it decided to stay the course because of a Congressional mandate for Saturday delivery that had been on the books since the 1980s. Congress decided to keep that mandate last month when it passed a funding measure to keep the government running.

The Postal Service had been hoping Congress would strip that mandate out.

"Although disappointed with this Congressional action, the Board will follow the law and has directed the Postal Service to delay implementation of its new delivery schedule until legislation is passed that provides the Postal Service with the authority to implement a financially appropriate and responsible delivery schedule," the board said in a statement.

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