Carper Statement on the Proposed U.S. Postal Service’s 10-Year Plan

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.), senior member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, issued the following statement on the recently released 10-year strategic plan from Postmaster General Louis DeJoy.

“While there is a real need for Postal Service leadership to set long-term goals for this institution, the ten-year plan laid out by Postmaster General Louis DeJoy ignores the significant immediate operational challenges that USPS is facing. The initiatives the Postmaster General seeks to put into place like limiting operating hours and lowering service standards will further harm service for Americans, especially our seniors, small businesses, veterans and rural communities, who depend on this critical service. In Delaware, I hear from my constituents about the mail delays they are experiencing and I’m deeply concerned that the changes proposed by Postmaster DeJoy miss the mark in terms of providing certainty in the near-team to Delawareans and the millions of Americans who rely on the services provided by the Postal Service. I’m also concerned that the Postmaster General’s plan makes no mention of any plan to vaccinate our postal workers — the heart and soul of our postal operations — who are risking their personal health to ensure Americans get their mail in the midst of a pandemic.

“The U.S. Postal Service reaches every household in America – from those in the largest cities to those in the most rural communities. It’s a critical part of our nation’s infrastructure and that’s why I am committed to working with my colleagues to confirm President Biden’s Board of Governors nominees and to stabilize and improve the Postal Service, ultimately restoring confidence in USPS and helping ensure on-time mail-delivery for every American.”

Earlier this year, Senator Carper, Senator Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and 31 other Senators sent a letter to Mr. DeJoy, pressing the Postmaster General on persistent mail delays and what action he is taking to restore on-time mail delivery. 

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