Norton initially requested a meeting on August 1; USPS responded on September 18 that it could not meet with her office due to USPS’ 45-day election blackout period that began on September 21.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) wrote Postmaster General and CEO Louis DeJoy after USPS took more than six weeks to respond to her constituent services office’s request for a meeting to address widespread mail delivery problems in Ward 5 in D.C. When the Postal Service did respond, it said no such meeting could be held due to a 45-day election blackout period. In her letter, Norton urged USPS to at least independently meet with Ward 5 residents no later than October 11, 2024.
The text of the letter follows.
September 23, 2024
Louis DeJoy
Postmaster General and CEO
United States Postal Service
475 L’Enfant Plaza SW
Washington, DC 20260
Dear Postmaster General DeJoy:
I have had numerous constituents contact my office regarding postal issues in Ward 5 in the District of Columbia. Given these issues, my constituent services office first contacted the United States Postal Service (USPS) on August 1, 2024, to discuss holding a community meeting with Ward 5 residents and USPS to address the issues. Despite repeated inquiries from my office, USPS did not respond to my office until September 18, 2024, and said no such meeting could be held with my office until after November 5, 2024, because of a 45-day election blackout period. It is unacceptable that USPS did not respond to my office until September 18, 2024, and it is unacceptable that USPS now refuses to meet with my office and the community until after November 5, 2024. Given USPS’s failure to timely respond to my office, I urge USPS to meet with my office and Ward 5 residents no later than October 11, 2024, notwithstanding the blackout period. If USPS will not meet with my office and Ward 5 residents until after November 5, 2024, I ask USPS to independently meet with Ward 5 residents no later than October 11, 2024.
My constituents in Ward 5 have raised concerns about mail being stolen, burned or otherwise destroyed, lost or not delivered. This mail has included checks, traffic tickets, credit card statements and other important documents. I ask that you provide a written response to this letter by September 30, 2024.