Senator Tammy Baldwin, (WI) has joined with six other senators in writing to The Postal Board of Governors to ask them to stop DeJoy’s Delivering For America Plan. The BOG has voiced support for the plan in the past. Senator Baldwin has said in a press release that her group wants the USPS to be successful because constituents rely on the Postal Service. However, the senators maintain that frequent rate increases – with another due in July – are onerous causing a loss of first class mail volume. Additionally, they say customer service has diminished.
They question the necessity of rate hikes in light of the $57 Billion Congress gave the USPS in 2022, creating a onetime spike in income. However, it is not noted that the $57 Billion was specifically slated for electric vehicles and the infrastructure required to operate them. The senators are asking the BOG to step in before what they call “further harm” is caused.
In a recent hearing before the Senate Homeland Security Committee, DeJoy defended his plan and said he is committed to seeing it through. When questioned about the rerouting of mail to mega Sorting and Distribution Centers, DeJoy said it is easy to show up part way into the project and criticize. He states, “but the path there is long and people are working very hard to change minds and hearts in terms of how we perform,”
The Senators joining Sen Baldwin in signing the letter to the BOG are Senators Martin Heinrich (NM), Ron Wyden (OR), Tammy Duckworth (IL), Dick Durbin (IL), Amy Kolbuchar (MN), and Peter Welch (VT)