Peters Received Nearly 7,000 Stories as Part of Investigation into Recent Service Delays; Toured USPS Metroplex & Discussed Impact of Recent Policy Changes with Postal Workers; Introduced Legislation to Halt Service Changes During COVID-19 Crisis
DETROIT, MI – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI), Ranking Member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, continued leading the charge to protect the United States Postal Service (USPS) after recent operational changes have reportedly slowed down service in Michigan and across the country. After Postmaster General Louis DeJoy refused to provide satisfactory answers to questions, Peters launched an investigation into the reported delays that are preventing Americans from receiving life-saving medications, paychecks and critical supplies on time. As part of that effort, Peters toured the USPS Metroplex facility in Pontiac and discussed the impact of the recent operational changes with postal workers. Peters has also already received nearly 7,000 stories about USPS delivery delays from individuals, small business owners and organizations that will help guide his investigation. Members of the public can still report their stories at www.peters.senate.gov/postal.
Additionally, Peters introduced legislation that would prevent the Postmaster General from implementing any changes to its services that would prevent prompt and reliable mail delivery during the Coronavirus pandemic. He also raised concerns about new reports that USPS has begun removing some mail processing machines and collection boxes from processing facilities and communities across the country, including in Michigan.
NBC TODAY SHOW: Peters Investigating Postal Service Delays
“Michigan Senator Gary Peters recently opened an investigation into the slowdown. [Peters said]: In just a short period of time, we have had over 6,000 people respond -- talking about late deliveries of prescription drugs, and of paychecks and of critical packages for them.”
CNN Cuomo Prime Time: Peters Demands Answers from Postmaster General on Recent Delivery Delays
“‘The men and women who work at the Post Office are amazing folks who work hard. They're committed people. But if management decisions are being made to slow down the mail impacting everyday citizens in their everyday business, as well as slowing down the voting process, that is simply unacceptable. And we have to make sure that we call it out.’”
MSNBC “All In with Chris Hayes”: Peters Warns of Devastating Impacts of USPS Delivery Delays
“‘People rely on the Postal Service to provide critical mail to them in a timely way. And that's not happening. And we need to get to the bottom of it and try to understand why would they [USPS leadership] put these changes in?
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‘This is the only agency or the only entity that actually delivers to every single address in the United States, no matter where you live. It's absolutely essential to folks in rural areas that rely on the Postal Service.’”
CNN Tonight: Sen. Peters Discusses Impact of USPS Delays with Don Lemon
“On now, the Democratic Senator Gary Peters of Michigan. He's leading the investigation into the US Postal Service, something everyone should be paying attention to.
Peters said: “We’re trying to determine through this investigation, is exactly what's happening at the Postal Service right now. All I know, right now, very clearly, is that constituents all across the state of Michigan have been contacting my office complaining about what's happening at the Postal Service, that delivery times continue to get longer and longer. Today, I talked to Michelle Brown who talked about her husband who needs medicines from the VA. Normally, when that is shipped from the VA, she gets them or he gets them within three days. The last order took 12 days and that meant he missed medicines that he absolutely needed. And when you think of what the Postal Service does every day, and making sure that paychecks come to folks and Social Security checks, you get bills and so you can pay on time, so you don't have the fees associated with it. You have to have on time delivery, and yet over the last few weeks, delivery times have gotten longer and longer.
“‘And he's [Postmaster General DeJoy] now put in procedures that I'm hearing from our Postal Service workers -- the letter carriers, the postal workers, who do the hard work every day -- they're saying they have to do things that they've never done before and they're seeing mail pile up…And as a result of that, we have delivery that takes a whole lot longer than it should. And it's, quite frankly, a serious problem for Americans.’
WJBK FOX 2 Detroit: Peters, Postal Workers Highlight USPS Delays
“It's (recent USPS delays) [is] what Michigan Senator Gary Peters is investigating, pointing to new policies recently put in place by the new Postmaster General Lewis DeJoy…
“‘Reductions in overtime, reductions in extra trips by transportation trucks to make sure that mail isn't sitting in the post office, processing machines that are being taken out -- there are a whole host of things that are happening and we need to have answers.’
MLive: Michigan lawmakers say Postal Service investigation reveals ‘hundreds’ of late mail reports
“Peters also correlated the reports of mail delays with DeJoy’s appointment in May. DeJoy was appointed by the Postal Service Board of Governors, which consists of nine governors appointed by Trump. Peters…sent two letters to DeJoy seeking clarity on a number of policy changes instituted for what the senator suspects are arbitrary reasons.
“‘The responses we have gotten back are not sufficient and certainly don’t talk about what sort of research may have gone into the instituting of these processes, what kind of evidence or what kind of data was actually collected to determine whether or not these policy changes would actually help mail delivery,’ Peters said.”
WXMI FOX 17 West Michigan: Peters hears from postal workers, Michiganders amid USPS investigation
“‘Folks here in Michigan deserve to have a postal service that delivers the mail as quickly as possible to them, and we're not going to accept anything less than that.’
“Peters asking anyone experiencing mail issues to reach out to his office.
Daily Mining Gazette: Peters asks Michiganders to submit stories of recent mail delays
“‘Mail delivery is too important for every American, particularly those folks in our rural areas that count on mail, and small businesses that are moving online and need to have postal services to carry their business forward,’ Peters said.”
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“Michele Brown, from Morley, Michigan, said before the recent changes, it took three days for the USPS to deliver the medication her husband receives through the Veterans Administration. Now it’s 12.”
“Delays in the mail happen, but a lot of people have noticed it happening more lately. Now, some are wondering if it's on purpose.
“‘It's trying to find out exactly what were the policies put in place over the last few weeks by the new Postmaster General that appears to be slowing down the mail.’
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