In response to Senator Tester’s continued push to ensure Montana’s rural communities have access to reliable and convenient mail service, the United States Postal Service (USPS) this month reopened the Fort Peck Post Office, which has been closed due to technical issues since March. During that time, local postal customers were asked to temporarily patronize the Nashua office.
Over the following weeks, dozens of Fort Peck residents reached out to Senator Tester to share concerns about the status of their post office and a lack of information from USPS. In May, Tester wrote a letter to USPS leadership, urging them to swiftly reopen operations in Fort Peck and improve communication with Fort Peck postal customers. Earlier this month, USPS reopened the facility after the necessary repairs were completed.
“Folks depend on their local post offices for everything from life-saving medication to paychecks to critical equipment to run their businesses,” Tester said. “No Montanan should have to drive hours to mail a letter or pick up a package, which is why I pushed USPS to get the Fort Peck Post Office back up and running as soon as possible. I’m glad to see that they’ve reopened the facility, and look forward to working with USPS to make sure rural post offices like this one have the resources they need to serve their communities without interruption.”
Tester has been Montana’s leading champion holding the USPS accountable. In June, following months of discussions with Big Sky Post Office stakeholders and USPS, Tester secured a $229,000 per year increase in funding for the Big Sky Post Office to support continued services in the face of the area’s rapid population growth.
Tester was also instrumental in the survival of the Coram Post Office, which faced potential closure earlier this summer.
In April, his Postal Service Reform Act was signed into law, which ensures long-term, reliable mail service and put the USPS on sound financial footing. He has repeatedly pushed Postmaster General Louis DeJoy on USPS policy changes that have delayed mail, threatened to undermine the agency, and harmed rural America. In 2020, Tester blew the whistle on USPS for removing dozens of mail collection boxes from towns across Montana, leading USPS to pause its removal of collection boxes nationwide until after the November election. Since the beginning of the pandemic, thousands of Montanans have contacted Tester to express concerns about mail delays and their effects on Montana communities.
The USPS’s letter announcing the reopening can be found HERE.