Friday, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) held a press conference with Congressman Jack Bergman (MI-01) and Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) to call on the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to improve service for Americans and protect postal employees. Budzinski highlighted the decline in USPS on-time mail delivery rates, the importance of preserving USPS’s Universal Service Obligation, and her commitment to safeguarding local postal jobs in Central and Southern Illinois.
Budzinski, Bergman, and Pappas, along with Congressman Andrew Garbarino (NY-02), serve as co-chairs of the Congressional Postal Service Caucus. The new, bipartisan group focuses on improving on-time delivery rates, protecting postal employees, and stopping harmful facility consolidations and threats of privatization that reduce access in rural and underserved areas.
“The Postal Service is a lifeline, especially for our rural communities. But in recent years, service reliability has declined and employees are being asked to do more with less. That’s why I’ve joined Representatives Bergman, Pappas, and Garbarino to create the bipartisan Congressional Postal Service Caucus and finally tackle these issues head-on in Congress,” saidCongressman Budzinski.“We stood together today to demand better for our constituents and to stand up for a public Postal Service for all Americans.”
“In Kingsford, Michigan, our community came together to protect the Processing and Distribution Center, preserving essential services for Veterans, families, and small businesses. As co-chair of the Postal Service Caucus, I will bring that same determination to the national stage, working to modernize the Postal Service while protecting rural facilities and delivery standards. This effort is about more than mail – it’s about keeping communities connected and ensuring rural America is not left behind,” said Congressman Bergman.
“The U.S. Postal Service provides an essential public service that seniors, families, and businesses rely on for their medications, mail, and packages,” said Congressman Pappas. “I’m joining my colleagues in launching the Congressional Postal Service Caucus so that we can continue working to strengthen mail service for communities in New Hampshire and across the country. I remain committed to improving access to prompt and reliable mail and package deliveries, especially for our rural communities.”
“The United States Postal Service plays a vital role in communities across the country. We must remain committed to ensuring reliable service, protecting postal workers, and preserving the Postal Service’s mission to serve every American household,” said Congressman Garbarino.
You can watch the full press conference HERE.
Earlier this year, Congresswoman Budzinski hosted a roundtable to strengthen postal services in Central and Southern Illinois, convening local union leaders and postal workers to talk about efforts to improve USPS functionality. Budzinski also introduced the bipartisan Protect Postal Performance Act, which would prevent the USPS from downsizing facilities in underserved areas, provide more oversight over modifications to delivery schedules, and increase public transparency on proposed changes. She also led 159 members of Congress in a letter to President Trump expressing concern over his proposal to fire the USPS Board of Governors and merge the Postal Service into the Department of Commerce.
