Peters Statement on Proposed U.S. Postal Service Strategic Plan

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI), Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, released the following statement on the recently released 10-year strategic plan from Postmaster General Louis DeJoy and Postal Service leaders:

“While I understand Postal Service leadership’s desire to set long-term goals, I am concerned that several of the initiatives in this plan will harm service for folks across the country who rely on the Postal Service for prescription drugs, financial documents, running their small businesses, and more. Cuts to service standards for first-class mail, limiting hours at local post offices, and making it more difficult for people to access postal products would adversely impact USPS customers across the nation, including in rural and underserved communities. 

“While the exact impact of this plan is not yet clear, we have already seen the disastrous consequences of harmful operational changes on millions of Americans including for veterans, small business owners, rural residents, underserved communities, and seniors. I will continue working to hold Postal Service leadership accountable, ensure USPS has a fully functional and bipartisan Board of Governors, pass legislation to provide a better future for the Postal Service and restore on-time mail delivery for the millions of people who are counting on the Postal Service to deliver each and every day.”

As the top Democrat on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Peters has fought to protect the Postal Service and its 245-year tradition of mail delivery. Peters previously released a report that confirmed operational changes at the Postal Service ordered by Postmaster General Louis DeJoy last summer resulted in compromised service for communities in Michigan and across the country. Peters also secured a $10 billion direct payment to USPS to help ensure the Postal Service can recover from pandemic-related losses. Earlier this year, he led 33 of his colleagues in pressing DeJoy on persistent mail delays and what action he is taking to restore on-time mail delivery.

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