Show-Me State Times

U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) has sent a letter to Postmaster General and United States Postal Service (USPS) CEO Louis DeJoy, expressing concerns about proposed operational changes that could worsen delivery delays for rural Missourians. For many rural Americans, timely access to federal mail services is essential for maintaining business operations and family connections.

“I am alarmed by the possibility you would implement additional changes to further degrade service quality at a time when USPS is failing to deliver Missourians’ mail in a consistent and reliable manner,” Senator Hawley wrote. “Recent reports state that your proposal, which would reduce the number of trips trucks take to rural areas, could further delay rural deliveries by up to 24 hours. USPS has also indicated that these changes are motivated in part by the agency’s ‘commitment to environmental sustainability.’ That would be wholly unacceptable.”

Senator Hawley urged Mr. DeJoy to reconsider the proposed changes due to their potentially detrimental impact on rural Americans and to reject any new policies that would exacerbate delivery delays.

Hawley has been an outspoken advocate for rural postal services. During an April Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Hearing, he questioned Mr. DeJoy about the timeline for rebuilding the Post Office in Baring, Mo., destroyed in 2023, as well as ongoing postal delays in Kansas City and St. Louis, Mo. Since 2022, Senator Hawley has sought answers and improvements from USPS regarding postal delays across Kansas City, Mo., sending letters to both the USPS Inspector General and Mr. DeJoy.

In his letter dated September 10, 2024, Senator Hawley emphasized the critical role of USPS in ensuring reliable mail services for all Americans, particularly those in rural areas who rely on it for essential deliveries such as Social Security checks and prescription medications.

“USPS is vital to ensuring that all Americans, regardless of location, have access to reliable and timely mail services,” he wrote. “Rural Americans must not be placed at an additional disadvantage in accessing postal services.”

Senator Hawley's full letter can be read [here](link).

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