DETROIT, MI – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (D-MI), Ranking Member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, today released the following statement after Postmaster General Louis DeJoy announced under pressure from Peters, Members of Congress and the public that he would reverse some recent changes that have disrupted mail service:
“There is simply no excuse for why Postmaster General DeJoy began instituting changes that have severely disrupted service for Michiganders and people in communities all across the country during an unprecedented public health and economic crisis. While it is a positive development that the Postmaster General says he will be temporarily rolling back some of these harmful changes as I have demanded – there are still too many unanswered questions. The American people deserve to know whether he will be returning sorting machines he already removed from facilities across the country, the details of any changes he is leaving in place and any future changes he plans to enact that could continue to harm the millions of Americans who count on the Postal Service for reliable, timely delivery. I will keep pressing the Postmaster General for answers through my investigation and at Friday’s Senate hearing. Given how much the American people are relying on the Postal Service during these challenging times, the Postmaster General should not making any changes that put mail delivery at risk before the election or for the duration of the Coronavirus public health emergency.”
As Ranking Member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Peters has fought to protect the Postal Service and its 245-year tradition of reliable, timely delivery. After sending a request to Chairman Ron Johnson on Sunday, Peters secured a Senate oversight hearing with Postmaster General DeJoy for Friday. Earlier this month, he launched an investigation into DeJoy’s operational changes and the slowdowns, delays and backlogs they are triggering in communities across the country after USPS provided misleading statements about the causes of the delays. Since launching his investigation, Peters has received more than 7,000 complaints from people in Michigan and across the country who have seen significant and harmful mail delays under DeJoy’s tenure. Peters has also pressed DeJoy on how these changes are preventing veterans from receiving their prescription medications through the Department of Veterans Affairs’ mail-order pharmacy service. Earlier this week, Peters introduced legislation to block the Postmaster General from making any changes that would disrupt service for the duration of the COVID-19 public health emergency. Peters also called on the U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors to immediately reverse changes made by DeJoy that degrade or delay postal operations and mail delivery, through their authority under the Postal Reorganization Act of 1970.
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