Press Releases
Warner, Kaine, Walkinshaw Introduce Bill to Rename Fairfax Post Office in Honor of the late Gerry Connolly
Dec 03 2025
The bill designates the USPS facility located at 10660 Page Avenue, Fairfax, VA 22030 as the “Congressman Gerald E. ‘Gerry’ Connolly Post Office Building."
“Whether he was fighting for federal employees, strengthening our transportation network, or standing up for democratic values at home and abroad, Gerry Connolly always led with integrity and purpose. Renaming this facility in his honor is a fitting tribute to a colleague and friend whose impact will be felt in Fairfax and across the Commonwealth for generations to come,” said Sen. Warner.
“From protecting federal workers and advocating for foreign aid to securing transformative transportation investments, Gerry Connolly was a one-of-a-kind public servant and fighter for Virginia’s 11th Congressional District,” said Sen. Kaine. “I’m proud to join my Virginia delegation colleagues to introduce this bipartisan legislation to honor my friend Gerry’s legacy.”
“Gerry Connolly was a singular force for good in Fairfax, and for 11 years I had the privilege of working beside him as his Chief of Staff. I watched him pour his intellect, integrity, and energy into serving this community every single day. He devoted his life to lifting up disadvantaged community members and giving voice to those too often unheard. He was widely respected as one of Congress’s most effective lawmakers, a champion for federal workers and the postal service, and a principled statesman who defended democracy with courage and clarity on the international stage,” said Rep. Walkinshaw.
“But Gerry was more than a Member of Congress. He was my mentor, my best friend, and one of the most formative figures in my life. His love for Fairfax continues to guide me in every decision I make. Introducing this bill with Senators Kaine and Warner is deeply meaningful because it honors a giant whose legacy is etched into every corner of our community. The best way to honor Gerry is to continue the work he loved and serve Fairfax with the same devotion he brought to it,” added Rep. Walkinshaw.
Sens. Warner and Kaine and Rep. Walkinshaw were joined by a bipartisan group of original cosponsors: Chairman James Comer (R-KY-01), Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA-01), Rep. Morgan McGarvey (D-KY-03), Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA-03), Rep. Jennifer McClellan (D-VA-04), Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA-08), Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-KY-02), Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH-10), Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA-10), and Rep. Eugene Vindman (D-VA-07).
The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform unanimously passed the bill on December 2, 2025.
Congressman Gerry Connolly’s Public Service:
Gerry Connolly served on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors from 1995 to 2008, including five years as chairman. His leadership helped guide the county through a period of rapid growth and positioned it as a national model for smart planning, environmental stewardship, transit expansion, and affordable housing policy. He championed initiatives that were ahead of their time in addressing housing shortages, expanding the tree canopy, preserving open space, and advancing Washington Metro’s Silver Line.
His local government experience informed a distinguished career in Congress, where he rose to become the Ranking Member and top Democrat on the Oversight Committee. He was widely regarded as one of the most experienced Members on oversight, and a respected advocate for good governance, infrastructure, and the federal workforce. The nonpartisan Center for Effective Lawmaking recognized him as the most effective Democratic lawmaker in the U.S. House during the 117th Congress.
Connolly was also a statesman whose leadership extended well beyond the United States. As a two-time President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, he was a fierce defender of transatlantic unity and democratic values. He presided over the Assembly’s response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, advocated for the establishment of a Centre for Democratic Resilience at NATO Headquarters, and supported the accession of Sweden and Finland to the Alliance.
His international work, combined with decades of service in Congress and in Fairfax County, reflects a legendary career defined by integrity, vision, and a steadfast commitment to democracy at home and abroad.
Read the bill text here.
Virginia Lawmakers Rip President Trump's Plans to Dissolve or Privatize the Postal Service
Feb 28 2025
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine and U.S. Reps. Bobby Scott, Gerry Connolly, Don Beyer, Jennifer McClellan, Suhas Subramanyam and Eugene Vindman (all D-VA) urged President Trump to halt any proposal that would alter the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) without congressional consultation and approval.
“We write to express our great concern regarding reports that you intend to dissolve the United States Postal Service’s (USPS) bipartisan Board of Governors and move the independent agency under the control of the Department of Commerce. The Postal Service plays a crucial role in keeping our communities, especially in our rural areas, connected to each other and to the wider world. From delivering prescription medications and household goods, to election ballots, paychecks, and critical bills, USPS continues to be an essential part of Americans’ everyday lives. However, press reports indicate you are planning to upend over 50 years of Congressionally-mandated independence at USPS with no clear strategy for continuing essential mail delivery services or achieving financial sustainability,” the lawmakers wrote in a letter to President Trump. “We urge you to cease the advancement of any proposal that would alter the USPS without congressional consultation and approval.”
Since Congress passed the Postal Reorganization Act of 1970, USPS has operated as an independent agency run by a bipartisan Board of Governors who are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. However, press reports have recently suggested that President Trump intends to sign an executive order to dissolve the Board and move the independent agency under the control of Secretary Howard Lutnick at the Department of Commerce. Last Friday, the president confirmed these reports when he said he was considering a “form of a merger” for the Postal Service. The letter rejects this vague and unconstitutional plan.
Wrote the lawmakers, “Throughout our nation’s history, the Postal Service has been an integral function of the U.S. government, particularly in rural areas. While 63% of post offices in rural areas do not generate enough revenue to cover their costs, Congress continues to ensure changes do not disadvantage rural areas because all Americans deserve the same mail delivery service regardless of where they live. Given your reported interest in privatizing the Postal Service, the universal service obligation that binds the Postal Service to deliver to all Americans could be scrapped for a plan that risks cutting off rural delivery and worsening service for all.”
The letter also references Virginia’s mail delivery issues, raising concerns that the president’s plans could upend recent improvements in mail service.
“Virginians are unfortunately familiar with the impacts of mail delivery falling short in the Commonwealth. In late 2023, USPS chose Richmond, Virginia as the first location to implement sweeping reforms under the ‘Delivering for America’ plan, including opening the Richmond Regional Processing and Distribution Center (RPDC). Shortly after, Virginia’s on-time service performance became the worst in the country. Last year, we met with Postmaster General Louis DeJoy on three occasions to push USPS to do everything in its power to improve mail service in Virginia. Throughout the year, we saw steady improvements in USPS’s mail service as we continued to press for increased transparency, greater engagement with the public, and a higher standard of service,” they wrote.
Continued the members, “While some communities in Virginia still experience service performance issues, we were pleased to see a USPS Inspector General report in January 2025 that found USPS had stabilized service at the Richmond RPDC, achieved most of the expected savings for fiscal year 2024, and returned statewide mail service to match nationwide averages. We fear such a significant upheaval of USPS’s governing structure and operations, as has been reported in the press, could reverse the improvement in mail service we have seen across Virginia.”
Lastly, the Virginia lawmakers noted dismantling or privatizing the Postal Service would jeopardize its critical facilitation of the nation’s vote by mail system.
“We are also disturbed by the notion that a USPS merger with the Department of Commerce will insert an intense partisan agenda into the distribution of millions of mail-in ballots as we approach election season. In the 2024 election, USPS processed 99.22 million ballots, with 99.88% of ballots delivered from voters to election officials within seven days and only one day on average to deliver ballots from voters to election officials. With over 2.3 million Virginians voting absentee in the 2024 general election, it is imperative that no changes are made to USPS that would undermine its ability to facilitate free and fair elections,” they wrote.
Concluded the lawmakers, “Any effort to ignore federal law and fire all members of the USPS’s Board of Governors – Republicans and Democrats who have been appointed by presidents and confirmed by the U.S. Senate – and move this independent agency under your control, will be met with fierce opposition. Furthermore, we request that you provide a full accounting of any changes that is being explored to alter USPS service, leadership, and personnel.”
A copy of the letter is available here.
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) and U.S. Representative Jennifer McClellan (D-VA-04) released the following statement regarding a recent incident in Richmond, in which large bundles of undelivered mail were found in trash bins:
“Early this week, we were made aware of video evidence that large bundles of undelivered mail were discarded in multiple trash bins at a local church in the Church Hill neighborhood of Richmond. Among the discarded items found were bills and important tax documents. We immediately contacted the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) Inspector General (IG) about this issue. Today, we learned from the USPS IG that this incident is under investigation, and the discarded mail will be processed for delivery immediately. We will continue to stay in contact with the USPS OIG to be updated on the investigation. As we continue to hear of issues regarding the USPS across Virginia, we will keep working to ensure all Virginians have efficient and secure mail delivery.”
###
WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) and U.S. Reps. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA-07) and Rob Wittman (R-VA-01) met with U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy to receive a status update on the U.S. Postal Service’s (USPS) ongoing work to improve service in Virginia while implementing new efficiency reforms. A representative from U.S. Representative Jennifer McClellan’s (D-VA-04) office attended the meeting as well.
“Today, we met with Postmaster DeJoy for a productive conversation on the progress made since our last meeting—and continued to voice the concerns of Virginians who know there is still significant room for improvement,” the members said. “While we are glad to see some gains in the on-time delivery rate in Virginia, there’s much more work to do. We will continue to press for increased transparency, greater engagement with the public, and a higher standard of service for communities across Virginia.”
Following advocacy by the Virginia Congressional Delegation, the one-time delivery rate of first-class mail in Virginia improved from 66% to 77.4% during the first quarter of this year. More recent data shows additional improvement. But there is still much work necessary to meet the USPS goal of 93%.
Today’s meeting came after an April meeting between DeJoy and members of Virginia’s congressional delegation, in which the members emphasized their concerns regarding the USPS IG’s report on the Richmond Regional Processing and Distribution Center (RPDC) in Sandston. The report highlighted various issues including an egregious lack of attention to detail, such as pieces of mail falling off conveyor belts and being lost; poor synchronizing between machines processing mail at the facility and the trucks transporting mail to and from the facility; and broader questions about whether the RPDC model is generating the promised cost savings and efficiency improvements.
###
WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) and Reps. Jennifer McClellan (D-VA) and Rob Wittman (R-VA) met today with U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy to discuss the severe mail delays affecting communities in Virginia and the related implementation of new reforms by the United States Postal Service (USPS).
“Today, we met with Postmaster DeJoy for a productive conversation and voiced what we’ve been hearing for months: mail delivery in the Commonwealth is falling short for Virginians who rely on it. It was encouraging to hear the postmaster accept responsibility for the problems, share data about recent improvement, and pledge to make the Richmond Distribution Center a top-notch performer in necessary postal reforms. But it’s clear that USPS has a long way to go in regaining the trust of Virginians. This meeting is just the beginning and we will continue to press for increased transparency, greater engagement with the public, and a higher standard of service for the communities it serves.”
Today’s meeting follows a report by the USPS Inspector General (IG) on the Richmond Regional Processing and Distribution Center (RPDC) in Sandston – the first consolidated processing center in the country that was opened to centralize outgoing mail and package processing as part of USPS’s 10-year Delivering for America plan. The report highlighted various issues on the local, regional, and national levels that have impacted service in Virginia. The issues include an egregious lack of attention to detail (pieces of mail falling off conveyor belts and being lost), poor synchronizing between machines processing mail at the facility and the trucks transporting mail to and from the facility, and broader questions about whether the RPDC model is generating the promised cost savings and efficiency improvements.
###
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) and U.S. Reps. Jennifer McClellan (D-VA-04), Bobby Scott (D-VA-3), Rob Wittman (R-VA-01), Abigail Spanberger (D-VA-07), Bob Good (R-VA-05), and Jen Kiggans (R-VA-02) released the following statement regarding the United States Postal Service’s (USPS) Inspector General (IG) report on the Richmond Regional Processing and Distribution Center (RPDC) in Sandston. The USPS OIG audited the RPDC because the center is the first consolidated processing center in the country that was opened to centralize outgoing mail and package processing as part of USPS’s 10-year Delivering for America plan.
“It couldn’t be clearer that USPS has not been providing reliable service to Virginians, and we’ve been pressing for answers. This report pinpoints a number of issues, including a lack of coordination between USPS and staff at the Richmond Regional Processing and Distribution Center (RPDC). Going forward, USPS must provide more resources and clearer guidance to management and staff at RPDC, among other steps. We look forward to working with USPS to ensure that happens, the recommendations in the IG report are implemented, and mail delivery is timely for Virginians.”
The report highlights various issues on the local, regional, and national levels that have impacted service in Virginia and made 10 distinct recommendations to USPS for improvement. The issues range from egregious lack of attention to detail (pieces of mail falling off conveyor belts and being lost), to poor synchronizing between machines processing mail at the facility and the schedules of trucks transporting mail to and from the facility, to broader questions about whether the RPDC model is generating the cost savings and efficiency improvements this model has promised. Workforce shortages, including reducing the contracted drivers to operate delivery trucks when the in-house workforce was insufficient, have further strained USPS staff and increased overtime costs. Meanwhile, internal communication among headquarters, regional, and on-site local staff has been inadequate.
A full accounting of the problems that have impacted service and specific recommendations to address them are available here.
###
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) pressed the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) on the mail delivery delays and disruptions impacting Virginians in the Richmond region. The push follows an alarming report that the Richmond VA Medical Center recently received hundreds of colon cancer test samples via USPS that are unusable because they exceed the 15-day window the samples were valid for. Some samples date as far back as mid-2023. In their letter, the lawmakers requested a briefing with USPS and a tour of the relevant USPS facility to better understand the causes of these unacceptable delays and discuss what is being done to prevent them from happening again.
“We want to be clear; this is unacceptable,” the lawmakers wrote. “These issues with postal delays have caused unnecessary stress and harm for our constituents and suggest to us that the issues in the region are worse than we thought.”
“We are unsatisfied with the level of urgency and responsiveness the agency has demonstrated with the issues we have raised previously, and this must change with this new revelation,” the lawmakers continued. “USPS has recently declined requests for meetings and tours to discuss these issues – Postal Service customers in Central Virginia deserve transparency and explanation, as soon as possible, regarding these issues.”
Joining the Senators in this push are U.S. Reps. Jennifer McClellan (D-VA-4), Rob Wittman (R-VA-1), Abigail Spanberger (D-VA-7), Jen Kiggans (R-VA-2), and Bob Good (R-VA-5).
Full text of the letter is available here and below:
Dear Postmaster General DeJoy and Mr. Roane:
In recent months, we have shared with the Postal Service the substantial constituent outreach we have received regarding postal delivery delays and disruptions in the Richmond region. Among other impacts, these delays have caused people to miss needed medications or to receive billing notices after payment deadlines have passed. We have shared these with the agency formally and via staff in an effort to identify if these are isolated cases or signs of a systemic challenge with postal delivery in this area.
We now have received a report from the Richmond VA Medical Center (Richmond VA), with potentially even more alarming consequences. According to the Richmond VA, the facility recently received a delivery from USPS of some 870 immunochemical test samples, which had been collected by veterans at home and then returned by mail. These tests are one method used to early-screen for colon cancer, and must be received back by the VA within a roughly two-week window in order to still be valid. It is our understanding that upon delivery of this recent batch of tests, more than half of the samples were older than two weeks – some dating back to mid-2023 – and therefore were unusable by the VA. The Richmond VA is working with USPS to understand how this could have happened and has stated to our offices that precise answers have not yet been forthcoming from USPS.
We want to be clear; this is unacceptable. These issues with postal delays have caused unnecessary stress and harm for our constituents and suggest to us that the issues in the region are worse than we thought. We are unsatisfied with the level of urgency and responsiveness the agency has demonstrated with the issues we have raised previously, and this must change with this new revelation.
We request a briefing with our offices at your earliest convenience to understand how this could have happened and what is being done to keep it from happening again. We also request a tour of the relevant facility to see firsthand the operational challenges. It is imperative that we understand the systemic issues that are causing these operational challenges on the ground at Virginia postal facilities, so that we may provide the resources and support these facilities require from the federal level in order to prevent further service delays and disruptions. USPS has recently declined requests for meetings and tours to discuss these issues – Postal Service customers in Central Virginia deserve transparency and explanation, as soon as possible, regarding these issues.
Thank you for your attention to this matter, and we await your response.
###
WASHINGTON – On Friday, U.S. Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA), and Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan (D-VA-04) sent a letter to the Virginia District Manager of the United States Postal Service (USPS) requesting answers and improved transparency regarding the recent mail delivery issues in the Richmond area. In their letter, the lawmakers urge Virginia District Manager Gerald Roane to address these issues and communicate directly with impacted residents.
“We write to advocate on behalf of our constituents, who have continued to share countless stories of mail delays and mail security concerns throughout Virginia and the Fourth Congressional District. While we appreciate your outreach with our offices, we feel our constituents would greatly benefit from direct communications from you or an appropriate United States Postal Service (USPS) representative,” wrote the lawmakers. “Therefore, we request your office to facilitate a town hall for concerned residents regarding their postal service concerns no later than January 19, 2024.”
Over the past few months, the lawmakers received hundreds of reports of mail delivery issues, including late and missing deliveries, sudden stops in service, and mail theft. In their letter, the lawmakers highlight various cases currently under investigation, including a local small business owner in the Bellevue neighborhood and a constituent in the Fan neighborhood.
“One notable case involves a 38-year resident of the Bellevue neighborhood and small business owner who has been grappling with mail delivery issues for over four months. Weekly missed deliveries since September have resulted in the non-receipt of crucial items such as paychecks, credit card bills, and insurance policies. This has, in turn, led to the imposition of late fees and, in some instances, the cancellation of essential services,” they continued. “Similarly, a constituent in the Fan neighborhood of Richmond reported a mail hiatus lasting up to eight days. Despite reporting the issue to their local post office, USPS made no efforts to follow up or notify the family about the status of their case. Ultimately, an automated message from the postal service declared the matter resolved without any prior communication.”
The lawmakers continue to open constituent cases to advocate on their behalf and resolve these issues.
Copy of the full letter available here.
###
Statement of U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner on Passage of bipartisan Postal Service Reform Act
Mar 08 2022
“This legislation is a strong first step towards improving the costly and unacceptable delays within the United States Postal Service,” Sen. Warner said. “The USPS provides essential services to Americans across the country, and it is crucial that we maintain a healthy and solvent USPS moving forward. I am proud to support this bill, which will increase transparency and work to address the widespread delays experienced by Virginians.”
The Postal Service Reform Act includes multiple provisions that will:
- Eliminate the aggressive prefunding requirement that has hurt the Postal Service financially, and integrate postal worker retirees’ health care with Medicare. Together, these two reforms would create over $49 billion in savings for the Postal Service over the next ten years.
- Require the Postal Service to maintain its standard of delivering at least six days a week.
- Improve transparency of Postal Service operations to both customers and Congress by requiring the publication of easily accessible weekly service data on the Postal Service website, as well as issuing a detailed report to Congress every six months on Postal Service finances and operations.
Sen. Warner has been an active and vocal proponent of addressing the mail delay problems affecting Virginians all across the Commonwealth. At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, with families increasingly relying on USPS, Sen. Warner raised concerns regarding the operational and structural changes implemented by Postmaster General Louis DeJoy and their impact on timely mail delivery. In February 2021, after hearing from hundreds of Virginians, Sen. Warner urged U.S. Postmaster General DeJoy to rescind the harmful policy changes delaying mail delivery. Shortly thereafter, Sen. Warner pressed DeJoy for answers on measures to restore on-time mail delivery, and called on congressional leaders to confirm President Joe Biden’s nominees to the U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors.
During August and November visits to Charlottesville, Sen. Warner has continued to push for a long-term solution and increased communication from USPS.
Sen. Warner has long been an advocate for postal reform. In 2015, he cosponsored the Improving Postal Operations, Service, and Transparency (iPost) Act that aimed to improve service of the USPS through a series of new standards.
Full text of the Postal Service Reform Act is available here.
###
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) sent a letter to the Virginia District Manager of the United States Postal Service (USPS) urging him to address the widespread delivery delays across Virginia in recent months. In their letter, the Senators called on Virginia District Manager Gerald Roane to create additional contingency plans to address existing staff shortages and capacity challenges and ensure that Virginians do not miss mail deliveries for days or weeks at a time.
“We write to share great concern regarding the continued widespread delivery delays across Virginia in the recent months. We have heard from hundreds of constituents, specifically in the Central Virginia region, who have shared stories about severe delivery delays adversely impacting their lives. Additionally, we continue to seek answers about staffing shortages and other circumstances that have led to such delays and actions that are being taken to prevent future issues,” the Senators wrote to Virginia District Manager Gerald Roane.
In their letter, Sens. Warner and Kaine cite the concerns of one Charlottesville resident, who shared that she has not had a mail carrier assigned to her delivery route since January, leaving her “virtually no first class mail delivery” for more than eight months. The same constituent shared that she is missing bills and tax documents, among other things, due to this lack of postal service.
“This troubling decline in on-time mail is causing constraints to many Virginians who are now receiving unexpected late fees due to delayed payments, missed paychecks, late prescriptions on critical medications, and much more,” they continued. “Deborah’s story is among countless others that we have received. Additionally, despite numerous requests, USPS officials have not provided relevant and updated data and mail delivery times. However, the outpour of constituent outreach demonstrates the substantial decline in on-time delivery in recent months and the devastating impact that it has had on millions of Americans. We urge you to review and implement processes to fill vacant postal positions and expedite the delivery of mail.”
In February, the Senators pressed U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy on continued widespread mail service delays throughout the Commonwealth.
Sens. Warner and Kaine have been vocal about reversing any changes to USPS that have affected the reliability of mail delivery. In August 2020, they joined their colleagues in a letter asking Postmaster General DeJoy not to take any further action that makes it harder and more expensive for states and election jurisdictions to mail ballots ahead of the 2020 presidential election. Additionally, last summer, the Senators raised concerns regarding the operational and structural changes implemented by Postmaster General DeJoy and the impact they would have on timely mail delivery. In response to these concerns, U.S. Postmaster DeJoy temporarily halted some, though not all, of the operational changes planned until after the November 2020 election.
Full text of the letter is here and below.
Mr. Gerald Roane
Virginia District Manager
United States Postal Service
1801 Brook Road
Richmond, VA 23232
Dear Mr. Roane:
We write to share great concern regarding the continued widespread delivery delays across Virginia in the recent months. We have heard from hundreds of constituents, specifically in the Central Virginia region, who have shared stories about severe delivery delays adversely impacting their lives. Additionally, we continue to seek answers about staffing shortages and other circumstances that have led to such delays and actions that are being taken to prevent future issues.
Especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States Postal Service (USPS) has played a critical role in keeping Virginians connected and safe. Whether it is the delivery of groceries, household necessities, or medications, countless Virginians continue to depend on USPS as a critical link to vital resources. For this reason, we are deeply troubled to see that timely mail delivery has precipitously continued to decline in Virginia.
While we seek a general explanation of the factors contributing to substandard delivery rates, we specifically seek explanations with respect to two primary issues raised by our constituents:
1. USPS government liaisons have cited temporary staff shortages and capacity challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic as contributing factors to recent delays. Constituents have shared stories about USPS’s inability to replace postal carriers who are temporarily out due to illness, injury, or on leave.[1] Insufficient staffing has had profound impacts on our constituents.
2. Many of our constituents in Charlottesville, Albemarle County, and surrounding jurisdictions are reporting that they are not receiving any mail for days or weeks at a time.[2]
We understand that many of these challenges could be due to staffing shortages, but implore you to create additional contingency plans to ensure that delivery routes do not miss mail deliveries for days at a time because a letter carrier is out.
This troubling decline in on-time mail is causing constraints to many Virginians who are now receiving unexpected late fees due to delayed payments, missed paychecks, late prescriptions on critical medications, and much more.[3] Specifically, I would like to direct your attention to one of our constituents, Deborah from Charlottesville, who recounts her firsthand frustration with recent USPS service.
Deborah shares that, “In addition to the nationwide problems with mail and the post office, those of us living in … Charlottesville, Virginia, have a special, additional difficulty hinging on the failure … to assign a mail carrier to our route. The person assigned our route went on maternity leave, as I understand it, in October, 2020, and as this is a new year, her additional 12 weeks maternity leave means she will stay off until approximately April 2021. During 2020, we had a wonderful substitute … But, starting in January, it seems we have had no person assigned this route. Hence, starting in January, we have had virtually no first class mail delivery … I personally have received none of my “informed delivery”, [and] have received in the last few weeks a total of approximately 5 pieces of first class mail, though I would normally get at least 3-5 times that much. Two of the 5 pieces were received on Friday January 29, but had been mailed Dec 28, and Jan 4. There are important items I need which cannot be emailed, and which have been remailed due to the apparent loss, and neither mailing has been received. I am also missing bills, tax documents and who know[s] what else. The rest of the community is in the same boat. Most urgently, I was contacted last night by an elderly neighbor who is desperate because she and her husband are not getting their pension checks. She visits the local P.O. regularly, she told me, pleading for her mail, but she says no one seems to care…”
Deborah’s story is among countless others that we have received. Additionally, despite numerous requests, USPS officials have not provided relevant and updated data and mail delivery times. However, the outpour of constituent outreach demonstrates the substantial decline in on-time delivery in recent months and the devastating impact that it has had on millions of Americans. We urge you to review and implement processes to fill vacant postal positions and expedite the delivery of mail.
Americans depend on the Postal Service for high-quality, reliable service, especially during the extraordinarily difficult times that they have experienced due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
To that end, we ask that you answer the following questions by September 3, 2021:
1. To what does USPS attribute the rapid decline in on-time delivery rates of mail in the Charlottesville region?
2. Since December 2020, has USPS pursued any changes to remedy these drastic delays in mail and significant personnel shortages needed to meet the demand in mail? Please describe, in detail, if there were any efforts to surge resources and staffing in Charlottesville.
3. Please describe, in detail, the steps you have taken to respond to customers who have been harmed by these mail delays. Has USPS pursued initiatives to locate packages and mail that are significantly delayed (more than two weeks beyond expected delivery) and to expedite their processing and delivery?
4. Please provide monthly staffing numbers for postal carriers and mail handlers in all of the USPS offices in Charlottesville, Virginia since December 2020. How many postal carrier positions are currently vacant? How many positions need to be filled to meet capacity needs and ensure that the mail delivery division is properly staffed?
5. Please share any data that you have on the delivery rates of mail-order medications in Charlottesville and the Virginia district. What action has USPS taken and does it plan to take to prioritize mail-order medications in light of mounting mail delays?
6. Please share any data on mail delivery performance in Charlottesville and the Virginia district.
Thank you for your attention. We look forward to working with the United States Postal Service during the 117th Congress to ensure that it remains a working institution for all Americans.
Sincerely,
###
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.
###
Citing Widespread Mail Delays, Warner & Kaine Urge Quick Confirmation of Postal Service Nominees
Mar 17 2021
WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) urged congressional leaders to quickly confirm President Joe Biden’s nominees to oversee the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), which has experienced unacceptable delays under the current Postmaster General, Louis DeJoy. Once Biden’s nominees to the U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors are confirmed, they can provide strict oversight over DeJoy’s ten-year strategic plan for postal operations, which has not yet been publicly released, but is expected to call for higher postage rates and further slowing of mail deliveries, according to media reports and recent congressional testimony.
“We write to express our support for President Joe Biden’s nominees to serve on the Board of Governors of the United States Postal Service (USPS) and to call for their immediate consideration before the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and the full Senate. The President’s nominees – Mr. Ron Stroman, Mr. Anton Hajjar, and Ms. Amber McReynolds – represent experienced, thoughtful experts on the Postal Service who will help to guide USPS through its current financial and logistical challenges. Acting with all possible speed to expedite their confirmations is critical as the Board of Governors will soon review Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s 10-year strategic plan,” said the Senators in a letter to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Gary Peters (D-MI). “During the COVID-19 pandemic, we have once again seen the critical role of USPS in connecting our communities, and yet unacceptable mail delays have occurred due in part to ineffective leadership. Whether it is manifest in the delivery of birthday and Christmas cards or stimulus checks and medications, service levels have fallen to unacceptable levels. It is crucial that the Senate quickly move to confirm President Biden’s nominees to bring renewed focus on the vital, public service that USPS provides and ensure that mail delivery improves to the standards Americans have come to expect for generations.”
“Despite historic delays in recent months, the Postmaster General has indicated he plans to announce a new strategic plan in the coming weeks that would cut service standards and raise prices. From what we understand, Mr. DeJoy’s plan seems tailored towards codifying the very delays which have deeply frustrated so many Americans today,” the Senators added in today’s letter.
The Senators noted that Virginia customers are already experiencing among the worst mail delays in the nation. In December 2020, first-class mail on-time delivery rates averaged just 52.4% in the Northern Virginia Postal District, 55.1% in the Richmond Postal District, and 67.0% in the Appalachian Postal District. In their letter, the Senators noted that they have heard from thousands of Virginians with complaints about mail delivery, and shared some of those complaints as they urged the Senate to move quickly to confirm Biden’s nominees:
“My parents (who are older, on fixed income, and aren’t comfortable with many online options) got fined by their mortgage company and car loan lender for lateness (they’d never been late prior) when their payments did not arrive on time but were mailed as normal. My dad, who as a Medicare enrollee, is now required to use a mail-order pharmacy for his life-sustaining blood thinning medication, is now having to ration his pills to make sure he doesn’t run out entirely because his three-month supply has not yet come…This is a life or death problem.” – Michelle, Fredericksburg, VA
“I use USPS to mail small packages for my business, 3-5 [times] per week. I always pay extra for USPS Priority Mail…because it is supposed to get to its destination in 2-3 days. Since November, only a few have arrived on time and the rest have taken between 7 and 18 days to arrive. In the final two weeks before Christmas, I had to shift to UPS which not only cost more but also came out of my own pocket because I provide free shipping as a service to my customers. Mine is a small business and I can’t afford the additional expense of alternate shipping methods. Even though my business is small, it puts food on the table for my family because my husband’s salary has been cut in half due to Covid. I cannot afford to anger or alienate my customers who expect prompt delivery. I would like to say that things have gotten better since Christmas, but they haven’t.” – Patricia, Charlottesville, VA
“I ordered and paid for 2-3 day priority mail on a shipment of medicine for my pet, rather than choosing the free shipping in standard mail that I could have received, because it said it could take 5-7 business days in standard mail; I needed the medicine within 7 business days but I didn’t want to take a chance on it being late. It was shipped from California on Feb 15th. As of this morning, February 24th, I still have not received it.” – Ben, Fairfax, VA
“Our neighborhood has not received mail at least one day a week (entire neighborhood). Bills are so late when I receive them they are past due. This has resulted in late fees on my accounts.” – Marcia, Norfolk, VA
Sens. Warner and Kaine have been vocal about reversing USPS operational changes that have affected the reliability of mail delivery. On Feb 1., the Senators 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, they joined 33 of their Democratic colleagues in pressing DeJoy on persistent mail delays and what action he is taking to restore on-time mail delivery. They earlier joined their 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.
A copy of the letter is available here and the full text appears below:
Dear Leader Schumer and Chairman Peters:
We write to express our support for President Joe Biden’s nominees to serve on the Board of Governors of the United States Postal Service (USPS) and to call for their immediate consideration before the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and the full Senate. The President’s nominees - Mr. Ron Stroman, Mr. Anton Hajjar, and Ms. Amber McReynolds - represent experienced, thoughtful experts on the Postal Service who will help to guide USPS through its current financial and logistical challenges. Acting with all possible speed to expedite their confirmations is critical as the Board of Governors will soon review Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s 10-year strategic plan.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, we have once again seen the critical role of USPS in connecting our communities, and yet unacceptable mail delays have occurred due in part to ineffective leadership. Whether it is manifest in the delivery of birthday and Christmas cards or stimulus checks and medications, service levels have fallen to unacceptable levels. It is crucial that the Senate quickly move to confirm President Biden’s nominees to bring renewed focus on the vital, public service that USPS provides and ensure that mail delivery improves to the standards Americans have come to expect for generations.
Virginia customers have experienced among the worst delays in the nation. In December 2020, first-class mail on-time delivery rates averaged just 52.4% in the Northern Virginia Postal District, 55.1% in the Richmond Postal District, and 67.0% in the Appalachian Postal District. These rates represent drastic declines relative to baselines in on-time delivery from March 14, 2020 – July 11, 2020, the period between the onset of COVID-19-related impacts and the announcement of Postmaster General DeJoy’s operational changes. The on-time delivery rates of first-class mail in this time frame were 90.9% in the Northern Virginia Postal District, 90.3% in the Richmond Postal District, and 93.8% in the Appalachian Postal District. But this service decline represents more than an abstract statistic, it represents real-world harm to thousands of our constituents. To that end, thousands of Virginians have shared their frustrations with us in recent weeks. Here are but a snapshot of our constituent’s stories to demonstrate the consequences of the failures of Postmaster General DeJoy:
“My parents (who are older, on fixed income, and aren’t comfortable with many online options) got fined by their mortgage company and car loan lender for lateness (they’d never been late prior) when their payments did not arrive on time but were mailed as normal. My dad, who as a Medicare enrollee, is now required to use a mail-order pharmacy for his life-sustaining blood thinning medication, is now having to ration his pills to make sure he doesn’t run out entirely because his three-month supply has not yet come…This is a life or death problem.” – Michelle, Fredericksburg, VA
“I use USPS to mail small packages for my business, 3-5 [times] per week. I always pay extra for USPS Priority Mail…because it is supposed to get to its destination in 2-3 days. Since November, only a few have arrived on time and the rest have taken between 7 and 18 days to arrive. In the final two weeks before Christmas, I had to shift to UPS which not only cost more but also came out of my own pocket because I provide free shipping as a service to my customers. Mine is a small business and I can’t afford the additional expense of alternate shipping methods. Even though my business is small, it puts food on the table for my family because my husband’s salary has been cut in half due to Covid. I cannot afford to anger or alienate my customers who expect prompt delivery. I would like to say that things have gotten better since Christmas, but they haven’t.” – Patricia, Charlottesville, VA
“I ordered and paid for 2-3 day priority mail on a shipment of medicine for my pet, rather than choosing the free shipping in standard mail that I could have received, because it said it could take 5-7 business days in standard mail; I needed the medicine within 7 business days but I didn’t want to take a chance on it being late. It was shipped from California on Feb 15th. As of this morning, February 24th, I still have not received it.” – Ben, Fairfax, VA
“Our neighborhood has not received mail at least one day a week (entire neighborhood). Bills are so late when I receive them they are past due. This has resulted in late fees on my accounts.” – Marcia, Norfolk, VA
Despite historic delays in recent months, the Postmaster General has indicated he plans to announce a new strategic plan in the coming weeks that would cut service standards and raise prices. From what we understand, Mr. DeJoy’s plan seems tailored towards codifying the very delays which have deeply frustrated so many Americans today. In his testimony before the House Oversight Committee, Mr. DeJoy said he was “evaluating all service standards” and public reporting indicates this includes eliminating two-day delivery for local, first-class mail and eliminating all mail transport for first-class mail. The American people deserve a full Board to consider the proposed plans to ensure that the unacceptable delays in the delivery of bills, medicine, and letters do not persist. Of particular importance in consideration of the strategic plan is the input of postal workers and unions who would be well represented by Mr. Stroman, a former deputy postmaster general, and Mr. Hajjar, formerly general counsel for the American Postal Workers’ Union, if they are confirmed.
Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter.
Sincerely,
###
