Reps. Peter DeFazio, Alma Adams Blast New Postmaster General for Damaging Changes to USPS Operations

Reps. Peter DeFazio (OR-04) and Alma Adams (NC-12) Wednesday sent a letter to the new Postmaster General (PMG) Louis DeJoy blasting his suggested changes to the United States Postal Service (USPS) that could dramatically degrade service across the country.

In the letter, the lawmakers write, “The agency is already in jeopardy due to the economic impacts of the pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). The operational shifts you are pursuing will harm the success, integrity, and reputation of the most popular government agency in the United States….We warn that your proposed operational changes will only make matters worse, resulting in a disastrous snowball effect where mail left at the facility accrues through no fault of the postal worker. That delay in delivery will cause harm to small businesses, seniors, and Americans in rural, suburban, and urban settings alike.”

On July 14, the Washington Post reported on two memos issued by PMG DeJoy regarding the “operational pivot” the USPS will take.  According to their report, the agency will seek to prohibit overtime, limit workers to strict 8-hour days, and severely curtail other measures local postmasters have used to ameliorate staffing shortages and provide consistent, prompt deliveries.

In the letter, the lawmakers expressed concerns that these drastic changes to postal operations will not only sacrifice speedy delivery, but could also drive away customers and reduce USPS’s competitive edge.

For a PDF version of the letter, click here.