CHOKOLOSKEE, FL – Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart (FL-26), a senior member of the House Committee on Appropriations, issued the following statement after the United States Postal Service (USPS) announced it would pause the discontinuance process for the Postal Office serving Chokoloskee, Florida:
“After months of persistent and constant communication with the USPS and following the active engagement of the community, including a public meeting on May 8th, 2024, and the release of the USPS Office of Inspector General Audit Report, which my office requested, I am pleased to share that we received an official update from the USPS regarding a pause in the discontinuance process for the Postal Office servicing Chokoloskee. Additionally, they stated: ‘Officials at Postal Service headquarters have authorized our real estate specialists to investigate a potential location to (1) determine if the location is available; (2) if a commercially viable lease can be negotiated; and (3) if the potential location meets our standards and operational needs, among other considerations.’ We have made significant progress and this is a positive step in the right direction but more needs to be done to ensure that people receive their mail in a timely fashion. This includes veterans in Chokoloskee who rely directly on the USPS for the delivery of critical medication, as well as individuals who have lost important documents such as U.S. passports and money orders.
As my team and I continue our work and advocate to ensure that the Chokoloskee Postal Office returns to its previous standard of operation, know that I remain committed to holding the U.S. Postal Service accountable in its service of our community.”