WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan, a member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, which oversees the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), questioned nominees last week for the Board of Governors of the U.S. Postal Service about improving postal services in New Hampshire, particularly for rural communities. This hearing builds on Senator Hassan’s ongoing efforts to address mail delivery delays in New Hampshire.
To watch the Senator’s questioning, click here.
“At my request, the Postal Service Inspector General issued a report that found that the main cause of postal delays and poor service in New Hampshire was due to a lack of permanent staff,” said Senator Hassan. “Since the report came out in December 2020, the Postal Service has hired more than 150 new permanent employees in New Hampshire – something that will surely help to improve service to the Granite State.”
Senator Hassan also discussed why it’s so important that Granite Staters reach out to her office in order to help address these delivery delays.
“We often are a source of data collection for [the Postal Service],” Senator Hassan said. “My office keeps track of constituent calls and complaints about the Postal Service, and it’s been really important in getting some of these recent improvements in New Hampshire. We were able to present the information directly from constituents, which didn’t always line up with what the Postal Service was telling us.”
Ronald Stroman, a nominee for the USPS Board of Governors, emphasized that these types of concerns are helpful in pinpointing service issues across the country.
Senator Hassan also discussed the importance of the Postal Service to rural communities across New Hampshire, which rely on the Postal Service to receive essential items or to operate small businesses.
“I absolutely think that rural communities are essential in terms of any changes that get put forward with network or even service,” said Amber McReynolds, nominee for the USPS Board of Governors. “We have to maintain the universal service obligation that is outlined clearly in the law and it’s important, I also believe, to engage rural stakeholders directly on what is important to them, what they need, what they don’t have access to now, and look for opportunities that are creative and innovative to better serve them.”
Senator Hassan is working to improve the Postal Service, which is especially vital for rural communities in New Hampshire. Last year, Senator Hassan led negotiations to include $10 billion for USPS in the COVID-19 relief and government funding package that was signed into law in December to help the agency address pandemic-related mail delays.
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