Delegation Presses USPS on Postal Problems

Maryland’s congressional delegation, including Rep. Steny H. Hoyer, pressed US Postal Service officials for answers on mail delivery problems, postal backlogs, and lost letters and packages.

Congressman Hoyer (D-MD), along with Sens. Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen, and Congressmen Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes, Kweisi Mfume, Anthony Brown, Jamie Raskin, and David Trone, held a virtual meeting held last week with USPS officials about the major mail delivery problems affecting Maryland communities.

The delegation requested the meeting to shed light on the lost mail and costly delays that have harmed Marylanders, especially seniors, small businesses, state and local governments, and rural communities that rely on the mail service for timely, daily deliveries. The delegation has joined together on multiple letters to top national and regional postal service leadership about Maryland’s mail issues.

“We have serious concerns about Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s ‘restructuring’ plans, which have significantly slowed delivery times, undermined hardworking letter carriers, and degraded public trust in the Postal Service. As a delegation, we want the USPS to succeed in its mission and have the resources necessary to meet the performance standards Americans have come to expect. Marylanders rely on the timely delivery of mail and packages – especially amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic,” the lawmakers said in response to the meeting.

“Maryland has experienced one of the worst postal backlogs in the country, and there are no excuses for the widespread breakdown of mail delivery. The USPS was ill-prepared for the increased volume and ended up putting letters and packages in trailers because it lacked sufficient dock and platform space at its distribution facilities. The mail got stuck there. The pandemic may have been novel, but the December holidays mail increase was highly predictable,” they added. “The USPS, in Maryland and beyond, must do a better job anticipating local and national surges in volume. We will be following Maryland delivery performance and expect regular reports showing significant improvements, returning delivery to acceptable standards in every community across our state. We will not stop fighting for our constituents until these problems are addressed.”

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For more information about House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer, visit his Leader member page.