Area lawmakers were critical of Wednesday's announcement by the U.S. Postal Service of a plan to cut Saturday mail delivery.

Postmaster General Patrick R. Donahoe announced the postal service will cut back to five-day-a-week deliveries for all mail, except packages, in August in an effort to trim financial losses.

U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos, D-East Moline, called on Congress to prevent the change.

"Today's announcement from the postal service indicating an end to Saturday mail service is a blow to communities across our region of Illinois," she said.

U.S. Rep. Dave Loebsack, D-Mount Vernon, said the postal service's financial outlook would not be so weak if it had not be forced to prefund retirees' health benefits.

"By requiring the postal service to prefund retirement health benefits to the tune of over $50 billion over 10 years, which no other agency or business has to do, Congress is tying their hands," Rep. Loebsack said.

Rep. Loebsack is a co-sponsor of a House resolution in support of the postal service maintaining a six-day delivery service.

"I can't think of a less partisan issue than the postal service," he said. "It is past time Congress works to find a solution to this problem."