November 25, 2021

Credit: The Garrett County Republican

WASHINGTON — Today, Maryland’s U.S. Sens. Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressmen Steny H. Hoyer, Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes, Kweisi Mfume, Anthony G. Brown, Jamie Raskin, Andy Harris and David Trone wrote to United States Postal Service Postmaster General Louis DeJoy requesting a progress report on the Postal Service’s efforts to ensure mail is delivered in a timely manner this holiday season.

In the letter, the lawmakers press for answers from the postmaster general on specific questions regarding USPS’s preparations for the holiday mail surge, as well as actions it has taken to correct the processing issues identified in this month’s Office of the Inspector General report on Baltimore area mail facilities.

“We are writing to follow up on your recent commitment that the U.S. Postal Service is ready to deliver packages in a timely manner this holiday season, and to request an update on the Postal Service’s implementation of recommendations made by the Office of Inspector General following their review of problems at nine post offices in Baltimore, Md.,” the lawmakers stated in the letter.

“According to the most recent data on service performance published by the OIG, which covers July to September of 2021, 89.0% of packages were delivered on time in the Baltimore District and 88.6% of packages were delivered on time in the Capital District. There continue to be significant service problems in Maryland, but this is a welcome improvement from the poor service our constituents received last holiday season,” the lawmakers continued. “That said, the OIG’s report on Baltimore revealed several problems that could contribute to a recurrence of delays this holiday season, including that 42% of the packages they sampled in their review had been improperly scanned.

“We heard from many constituents who experienced problems sending holiday gifts to their loved ones, shipping products for their business and receiving life-saving medication. We have also spoken with the postal workers who do their best every day to deliver top-notch service and take pride in their vital mission, and they deserve leadership that puts them in a position to succeed,” the lawmakers note, going on to pose specific questions regarding to the postmaster general their concerns.

“After last year’s problems, our constituents are understandably concerned about package delays this holiday season. In order to provide our constituents with the utmost confidence in the Postal Service as we begin this holiday season, please provide a response to these questions by Dec. 1, 2021,” the letter requests.