WASHINGTON (KTVZ) — Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., delivered a speech this week on the Senate floor to call attention to the urgent United States Postal Service issues impacting Oregonians.
His speech focused on the first-hand stories of Oregonians who rely on the Postal Service for everything from the delivery of lifesaving medications to running their small businesses to staying connected with loved ones, according to a news release Wednesday.
“Postmaster General DeJoy labeled his restructuring plan ‘Delivering for America.’ A better name for this plan would be ‘Delaying Mail in America,’” Merkley said. “U.S. Postal Service leadership claims that downgrades won’t slow deliveries. But every delivery route will be slower if you add more than 500 miles to it……you only need to look at what’s happening in my home state.”
“Meanwhile, the Postal Service continues to raise prices! As of July 14, a single stamp now costs 73 cents. The Postal Service calls this new system ‘more efficient and cost-effective.’ I call it: ‘paying more and getting less.’ These price hikes and delivery delays hurt rural communities most.”
“Now is the time to reverse DeJoy’s downgrades. Now we need to restore reliable, affordable mail delivery. Now is the time to take the Delivering for America plan and return it to the sender.”
Merkley’s floor speech builds on a series of actions he’s taken since October 2023 in opposition to the USPS downgrades in Oregon. He spent months leading the charge to speak out against DeJoy’s plan, including a series de letras y working across the aisle in his efforts.
Merkley’s efforts culminated with a bipartisan letter in May. Because of Merkley’s collective effort with Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Gary Peters, the USPS paused planned changes to its processing and delivery network that could slow down mail delivery in other states until the potential impacts are further studied by the Postal Regulatory Commission and addressed by the Postal Service. A report on the impacts of service downgrades in Oregon is expected to be finalized in the coming weeks.
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