Washington, D.C.— Senators Cynthia Lummis, John Barrasso, and Congresswoman Harriet Hageman (all R-WY) introduced the bipartisan and bicameral Postal Operations Stay Timely and Local (POSTAL) Act. This legislation prevents the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) from closing, consolidating, or downgrading processing and distribution centers (P&DC) if it would eliminate the only P&DC in a state.
“The people of Wyoming are greatly disadvantaged by the mail delivery policies implemented under the Biden administration,” said Lummis. “It is commonsense for every state to have at least one sorting facility, to ensure efficient and timely in-state mail delivery. I am proud to champion this commonsense mail policy for rural communities, so every American, regardless of zip code, can rely on USPS once again.”
“The United States Postal Service (USPS) is a lifeline in rural states like Wyoming,” said Barrasso. “Keeping a processing and distribution center in Wyoming will help prevent delays and keep mail operations running smoothly across our state. I’ll continue to fight to make sure the people of Wyoming have access to a reliable and timely postal service.”
“Wyoming residents and postal employees are deeply concerned about the impact of these planned downgrades,” said Hageman. “The Postal Regulatory Commission found Postmaster General DeJoy’s plan to move processing out of state will lead to substantial delays and undermine reliable mail service for rural communities. For many Wyomingites, USPS is vital for everything from healthcare access to ensuring election integrity. This bill protects Cheyenne and Casper’s P&DC status and safeguards Wyoming’s postal infrastructure.”
Background:
- The USPS, under its “Delivering for America” modernization plan, has begun to consolidate or downgrade many of its existing processing and distribution centers, shifting the bulk of mail processing and delivery functions to other locations.
- As part of this shift, USPS plans to downgrade both P&DC facilities in Wyoming, shifting Casper’s P&DC operations to Billings, Montana and Cheyenne’s operations to Denver, Colorado, leaving Wyoming without an in-state P&DC.
Bill text can be found here.
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