Today U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) sent a letter to Postmaster General and United States Postal Service (USPS) CEO Louis DeJoy raising concerns regarding proposed operational changes to USPS that could compound delivery delays that rural Missourians are already experiencing. For countless rural Americans, reliable and timely access to federal mail services is a lifeline that keeps businesses open and families connected.
“I am alarmed by the possibility you would implement additional changes to further degrade service quality at a time when USPS is failing to deliver Missourians’ mail in a consistent and reliable manner,” the Senator wrote. “Recent reports state that your proposal, which would reduce the number of trips trucks take to rural areas, could further delay rural deliveries by up to 24 hours. USPS has also indicated that these changes are motivated in part by the agency’s ‘commitment to environmental sustainability.’ That would be wholly unacceptable.”
Senator Hawley urged Mr. DeJoy to reconsider the proposed changes in light of their potentially detrimental effect on rural Americans and to reject new policies that would exacerbate delays for them.
Senator Hawley has been a vocal advocate of rural postal services. At an April Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Hearing, he confronted Mr. DeJoy about a timeline for rebuilding the Post Office in Baring, Mo., that was destroyed in 2023, as well as ongoing postal delays in Kansas City and St. Louis, Mo. Since 2022, Senator Hawley has pushed the USPS for answers and improvements on the postal delays across Kansas City, Mo., sending letters to the USPS Inspector General and Mr. DeJoy.
Read the full letter here or below.
September 10, 2024
Mr. Louis DeJoy
Postmaster General
United States Postal Service 475
L’Enfant Plaza SW
Washington, DC 20260
Dear Postmaster General DeJoy,
I write regarding the recent announcement of proposed operational changes within the United States Postal Service (USPS). These changes could negatively affect rural mail delivery and compound the ongoing delays experienced by Missourians living in rural communities. Any proposed changes that would cause further delays should be reversed immediately.
In rural communities across Missouri, regular access to federal mail services is a lifeline that keeps businesses open and families connected. It is often the primary method by which rural Missourians access critical deliveries, such as Social Security checks and prescription medications. Unfortunately, many Missourians have communicated consistent delays in receiving these deliveries. I have written to and spoken with you about these delays on multiple occasions.
I am alarmed by the possibility you would implement additional changes to further degrade service quality at a time when USPS is failing to deliver Missourians’ mail in a consistent and reliable manner. Recent reports state that your proposal, which would reduce the number of trips trucks take to rural areas, could further delay rural deliveries by up to 24 hours. USPS has also indicated that these changes are motivated in part by the agency’s “commitment to environmental sustainability.” That would be wholly unacceptable.
USPS is vital to ensuring that all Americans, regardless of location, have access to reliable and timely mail services. Rural Americans must not be placed at an additional disadvantage in accessing postal services, especially not in pursuit of the Biden Administration’s radical environmental initiatives. I therefore urge you to reconsider the proposed changes in view of their expected effect on rural Americans, including those in Missouri, and reject any changes that would exacerbate delays for them.
Thank you for your attention to this important matter.
Sincerely,
Josh Hawley
United States Senator