As U.S. Postal Service Delays Continue, Spanberger Relaunches Survey to Collect Experiences of Central Virginians

HENRICO, V.A. — U.S. Representative Abigail Spanberger is relaunching her survey to gather stories, concerns, and feedback from Seventh District constituents about U.S. Postal Service (USPS) mail delivery and service delays.

Just last month, Spanberger sent a letter to U.S. Postal Service Virginia District Manager Mr. Gerald Roane to outline specific mail delivery concerns she has heard directly from Virginians living in the 22407 zip code — including the Spotsylvania and Fredericksburg areas. Additionally, she asked for answers about how the USPS will address and fix ongoing issues — including staffing shortages, the end of mail pick-ups at local offices, and continued delivery delays.

After first launching her survey amid delays in August 2020, Spanberger received more than 800 responses from Central Virginians expressing concerns about ongoing delays at USPS. In February 2021, as the 2020 tax filing deadline approached, Spanberger relaunched the survey and received more than 3,700 responses.

“More than a year after first launching this survey, my office is still receiving hundreds of calls and emails from Central Virginians who are experiencing substantial mail delivery delays. But I know I have not heard from nearly all of our neighbors having this experience,” said Spanberger. “Without a functioning USPS and proper support for Postal employees, Central Virginians cannot reliably receive lifesaving prescription medications, bills, letters from loved ones, and other essential items, and many local businesses cannot fill customer orders in a timely manner. The personal experiences, concerns, and feedback that seniors, business owners, and families share with our office help me advocate on behalf of residents of the Seventh District, and I hope many Central Virginians will take a moment to share their stories and their concerns. ”

Central Virginians can click here to complete Spanberger’s brief USPS survey.

BACKGROUND

Spanberger has long been vocal about the numerous ways in which Central Virginians suffer without a strong USPS. In February 2021, Spanberger joined an effort calling on President Joe Biden to fill existing USPS Board of Governors vacancies as quickly as possible. The Board of Governors has the power to appoint and dismiss the Postmaster General and the Deputy Postmaster General.

Last year, Spanberger cosponsored and voted to pass the Delivering for America Act, which would prohibit the USPS from making any structural changes impacting its service during the COVID-19 pandemic. At a time when more Americans are relying on home deliveries, the legislation seeks to stabilize the USPS and its operations. Additionally, the bill seeks to prevent any targeted structural changes that would weaken the USPS or threaten the job security of its employees.

 

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