CBS19

Several members of Virginia’s congressional delegation are again calling for answers from the U.S. Postal Service regarding delivery issues.

This comes after the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Richmond reported that it received hundreds of at-home colon cancer tests that were so old, they were useless.

Senator Tim Kaine sent a letter to Postmaster Louis DeJoy on Tuesday. Others who signed the letter include Senator Mark Warner and Representatives Abigail Spanberger, Bob Good, Jennifer McClellan, Robert Wittman, and Jen Kiggans.

According to the letter, the Richmond facility recently received about 870 immunochemical test samples that veterans had collected at home and returned by mail.

These tests are one way to screen for colon cancer, which is the third most common form of cancer diagnosed in the United States.

Such tests need to be received within a two-week window in order for the test to be valid, but more than half of the samples the medical center received were older than that.

Some of the tests had been completed in mid-2023 and were completely unusable.

The Richmond VA told the members of Congress that it is working with USPS to understand how this delivery issue occurred, but “precise answers have not yet been forthcoming.”

“We want to be clear; this is unacceptable,” wrote Kaine and the others. “These issues with postal delays have caused unnecessary stress and harm for our constituents and suggest to us that the issues in the region are worse than we thought. We are unsatisfied with the level of urgency and responsiveness the agency has demonstrated with the issues we have raised previously, and this must change with this new revelation.”

Over the last several years, there have been numerous issues with mail in Virginia, especially around the Charlottesville area.

This has included people not receiving medications or bills in a timely manner, resulting in potential health concerns and late fees.

During recent elections, there have also been problems with people receiving ballots when they have requested to get one through the mail.

Once again, the members of Congress want to meet with USPS leadership and see the facility in order to understand what operational challenges exist.

To read the full letter, click here.