U.S. Senators Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., joined a bipatisan group of 21 of Senate colleagues on Wednesday in a letter to U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy calling on the United States Postal Service (USPS) to pause planned changes to its processing and delivery network that could slow down mail delivery until the potential impacts are further studied by the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) and addressed by the Postal Service.
The senators expressed concern over the impacts that the changes have already had on mail delivery in communities across the country, including West Virginia.
“We call on USPS to pause all changes, pending a full study of this plan by its regulator. While USPS claims these changes overall will improve service while reducing costs, there is evidence to the contrary in locations where USPS has implemented changes so far,” the senators said. “USPS must stop implementation, restore service in those areas where changes were implemented, and fully understand the nationwide effects of its plan on service and communities.
“The Postal Service’s primary responsibility is to provide timely and reliable delivery to every community across the nation. While USPS must continue adapting as an agency to remain stable and serve the public’s current needs, it must proceed with caution and understand the implications of its plans in order to protect mail delivery for all communities,” the senators said.