WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner issued a statement after Postmaster General Louis DeJoy released a ten-year strategic plan for the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) that would raise postage rates, slow some mail service, and reduce post office hours:

“I have heard from too many Virginians who are understandably upset with the poor mail service they have experienced in recent months. Louis DeJoy’s failures as Postmaster General are apparent to anyone who has been forced to wait weeks, sometimes months, for birthday cards, bills, or medications to arrive. I recognize that USPS has serious financial and logistical challenges ahead, but the least we owe the American people is a full USPS Board to review DeJoy’s new 10-year plan for the Postal Service. The Senate should confirm President Biden’s nominees as soon as possible.”

Last week, Sen. Warner along with Sen. Tim Kaine (both D-VA) sent a letter to congressional leaders urging speedy confirmation of President Joe Biden’s nominees to the U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors that oversees the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), citing the need for strict oversight over DeJoy’s ten-year plan. 

Sen. Warner has been vocal about reversing USPS operational changes that have affected the reliability of mail delivery. On Feb 1., Sens. Warner and Kaine sent a letter to DeJoy, calling on him to rescind policy changes that are delaying mail delivery including life-saving medicines, groceries, supplies, and more in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Also last month, Sen. Warner joined 34 of his Democratic colleagues in pressing DeJoy on persistent mail delays and what action he is taking to restore on-time mail delivery. He earlier joined colleagues in calling on DeJoy to testify before Congress and provide clear, transparent answers on service delays that have caused seniors and veterans to miss their prescription medications, small businesses to lose money and customers over delayed packages, and other serious disruptions that affect communities across the country who count on the Postal Service for timely delivery. Additionally, Sen. Warner previously raised concerns over the USPS operational changes and the heightened impact to servicemembers and their families and pushed to correct the changes that are needlessly delaying veterans’ access to life-saving prescriptions.  

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