WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) expanded his investigation into the United States Postal Service (USPS) after Postmaster General David Steiner refused to provide answers for the terrible postal service in Missouri. Senator Hawley questioned USPS’ apparent retention of a New York consulting firm while Missourians’ mail delivery lags, despite Congress passing thePostal Service Reform Act in 2022 to equip the agency to rectify service issues.
Senator Hawley wrote, “To date, my office has received no documents in compliance with my June 30 letter. Is it your intention simply to ignore statutory oversight? I expect full compliance with my oversight requests immediately. This letter is to inform you that my office is formally expanding its investigation to include the retention of outside consultants by the United States Postal Service (USPS) so Congress can evaluate whether postal service leadership is appropriately prioritizing service improvements.”
He questioned the Postal Service’s use of outside consultants, stating, “In a March 4, 2026 interview, you revealed that USPS had consulted with Alvarez & Marsal (A&M) for a ‘brief engagement to help with planning for all scenarios.’ I was surprised to learn that you have hired a New York-based management consulting company, which is known for corporate restructuring. You also emphasized that service and staffing cuts were a consideration in USPS’ efforts to mitigate its financial losses, arguing that ‘we must be prepared to do what we have to do because we cannot rely on outside forces.’”
Senator Hawley also inquired about why postal service for Missourians has not been fixed since Congress passed the Postal Service Reform Act of 2022, which was requested by postal service leadership at the time to improve operations.
He concluded, “It is surprising to me that as you complain about this monetary crisis, you and other USPS executives continue to rake in annual bonus packages and have found plenty of cash to hire these outside consultants like A&M—all while service declines and far too many Americans are not receiving their mail. If the Postal Service plans to address its losses through hiring A&M, then Congress must be apprised of the nature of the engagement and A&M’s recommendations to ensure that USPS service standards—such as universal service and rural delivery—do not continue to decline in any agency restructuring plan. ”
Read Senator Hawley’s full letter here or below.
Senator Hawley’s investigation looks into the ongoing mail service failures plaguing Missouri, alongside potential criminal activity in abandoned mail and the alarming distribution of lavish bonuses to U.S. Postal Service (USPS) executives. Read more about Senator Hawley’s investigation here.
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