Denver — Today, Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet urged Postmaster General Louis DeJoy and Postal Regulatory Commission Chairman Michael Kubayanda to prioritize improvements to on-time delivery, service, and operations as they implement the Postal Service Reform Act (PSRA), which will save the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) $45 billion over ten years.
“As you plan for the cost savings and transparency measures from the Postal Service Reform Act, it is imperative that the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) seize this opportunity to improve on-time deliveries, service, and operations,” wrote Bennet in the letter.
In his letter to DeJoy and Kubayanda, Bennet requested action to address the concerns he’s heard from Coloradans, including reports of residents going days or even weeks without mail delivery.
“Americans rely on USPS to receive bills and vital federal benefits like Social Security,” Bennet continued. “It is therefore essential that USPS maintains its delivery standards and honors its commitment to serve every community.”
In the letter, Bennet also urged DeJoy and Kubayanda to reduce barriers to receiving mail for communities without home delivery and highlighted his work to secure free P.O. Boxes for residents of Buena Vista, Colorado beginning next year.
In April, President Joe Biden signed the PSRA into law to improve USPS’s financial stability, increase transparency and accountability, and codify a 6-day-a-week delivery standard. Following the House’s passage of this legislation in February, Bennet urged U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) to bring the legislation to the Senate floor as soon as possible to address challenges facing USPS in Colorado.
The full text of the letter is available HERE and below.
Dear Postmaster General DeJoy and Chairman Kubayanda:
I write to you regarding ongoing delivery delays and service issues facing Post Offices throughout Colorado and the country. As you plan for the cost savings and transparency measures from the Postal Service Reform Act, it is imperative that the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) seize this opportunity to improve on-time deliveries, service, and operations.
In April 2022, President Biden signed the bipartisan Postal Service Reform Act (PSRA) into law to improve USPS’ financial condition with savings of more than $45 billion over 10 years. The law also increases service transparency and requires USPS to permanently maintain its standard of delivering at least six days a week.
As USPS considers how best to use the savings from PSRA, I encourage you to prioritize the following deficiencies to improve service across Colorado and the country:
- Reduce mail delivery delays. Residents throughout Colorado have reported not receiving mail for multiple days. In some cases, standard and first-class letters arrive weeks after customers mail them. Americans rely on USPS to receive bills and vital federal benefits like Social Security. In Colorado, voters also rely on USPS to receive and return their mail-in ballots. It is therefore essential that USPS maintains its delivery standards and honors its commitment to serve every community. Beyond publicizing delivery data, as required by PSRA, meaningful infrastructure improvements at processing facilities and local Post Offices could also help reduce delays.
- Reduce barriers to receive mail for communities without home delivery. Many rural and small communities in Colorado do not receive home delivery. Instead, residents must commute to the Post Office and wait in often lengthy lines to pick up daily mail and packages. In many of these communities, post office boxes (P.O. boxes) are only available to purchase, even for full-time residents. That is why I worked over several months with the Town of Buena Vista and USPS’s Colorado/Wyoming District Office to secure free P.O. Boxes to Buena Vista residents beginning in 2023.
- Work to improve third party fulfillment. As you know, e-commerce platforms like Amazon and Wal-Mart allow consumers to purchase and ship large items directly to their home. Often, third party carriers that contract with USPS to ship these parcels through last-mile delivery contracts in rural areas. For USPS, these contracts are an increasingly important source of long-term revenue. However, the significant increase in parcel shipments from third party carriers has further strained USPS staff resources and increased stress on facilities, some of which are not sized to accommodate the increases. Investing in infrastructure modernization and service improvements could help address these challenges.
The Colorado/Wyoming District Office staff has demonstrated attention and care to addressing these and other concerns raised by local communities. As you continue to plan for the agency and the savings from the Postal Service Reform Act, I appreciate your continued partnership with my office to resolve these issues.
Sincerely,