Culpeper Star-Exponent: “Far beyond basic inconveniences”—postal delays persist

May 20, 2024
In the News
Local Issues

CULPEPER STAR-EXPONENT,

After hearing concerns from more than 1,800 Virginians about late mail, U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-7th, is again pressing the U.S. Postal Service for answers related to continued delivery delays.

The call comes amid ongoing delays and disruptions originating at the Richmond Regional Processing and Distribution Center in Sandston, according to a release Friday from the local congresswoman’s office.

Spanberger, in April, relaunched a survey to hear from 7th District families, seniors and business owners impacted by inconsistent and unreliable service, the release stated. She sent out a questionnaire after the Office of Inspector General released an audit report assessing effectiveness and operational impacts of the new Richmond center that serves much of the 7th District. The center began operating last July as a result of Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s “Delivering for America” plan, according to the release.

The report highlighted various issues like poor synchronization between machines processing mail at the facility, trucks schedules transporting mail to and from the facility and cost savings and efficiency improvement concerns the model had promised.

In a letter last week to DeJoy, Spanberger outlined constituent reports of mail service delays, incorrect deliveries, missing mail and the futility of filing missing mail reports and mail tracking forms. Since relaunching the survey, more than 1,800 individual responses have been received reporting the problems.

“Virginians have reported not only delayed delivery of important bills and medications, but mail that has gone missing altogether — without any possibility to track it or any recourse from USPS despite filing reports,” said Spanberger. “These service issues have gone far beyond basic inconveniences to imposing harmful consequences on Virginians’ health, finances and lives.”

Constituents frequently emphasize their local post offices and mail carriers are hard-working and excellent at their jobs and these issues are clearly coming from the top down, she said.

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