Sen. Klobuchar addresses mail delays in Northern Minnesota

WASHINGTON – Amid reports of mail delays in Duluth and surrounding communities, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) spoke with U.S. Postal Service (USPS) Minnesota-North Dakota District Manager Anthony Williams to raise concern about the ongoing issues and discuss solutions.

“Minnesotans rely on the Postal Service to receive their paychecks, access their prescriptions, and stay connected to family and friends. This week I spoke with the U.S. Postal Service’s Minnesota-North Dakota District Manager Anthony Williams about solutions to fix the postal delays that have impacted Duluth and surrounding communities. I am also pushing Postmaster General Louis DeJoy for further assistance.” Klobuchar said. “Among several factors, delivery is being affected by staffing shortages and I encourage everyone who is interested to apply to join the U.S. Postal Service workforce and help ensure Minnesotans continue receiving reliable mail service.”

Those interested in employment with the USPS should visit USPS.com/careers. Additionally, in a letter to U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, Klobuchar pushed for further assistance, due to the mail delays. Earlier this year, Sen. Klobuchar supported legislation to bolster the USPS’ long-term financial stability and address delivery delays.

Along with other operational reforms would be signed into law. Klobuchar also pushed for a moratorium on the closing or consolidation of post offices and mail processing facilities. She also advocated for preserving rural post offices in remote parts of Minnesota.

If you are interested in reading Sen. Kloubchar’s letter to the Postmaster General, you can read it below.

– Dear Mr. DeJoy:
I write to follow up on mail delays that are adversely affecting my constituents. In August, I contacted you regarding mail service issues in Rochester, Minnesota and I understand that the U.S. Postal Service provided certain flexibilities to Minnesota post offices to help address those delays. Recently, I have received reports of significant mail delivery issues from residents across Minnesota, particularly in the Duluth and Minneapolis-St. Paul areas.

Residents have reported that they have not received mail deliveries for as long as two weeks, and when deliveries do arrive they are often incomplete. These delays do not just mean residents have gone without holiday gifts, but that they are not receiving federal checks, business mail, medications, and paychecks that they rely on for their health and livelihoods.

I appreciate the hard work that Minnesota postal workers do to deliver mail, especially with increased mail volume during the holidays and in the face of winter storms and road closures. Staffing shortages have made their jobs more difficult, and these shortages continue to be a significant cause for mail delays in Minnesota.

Minnesotans depend on the United States Postal Service every day. I appreciate the continued work of Anthony Williams, the United States Postal Service District Manager for Minnesota and North Dakota, who I recently spoke with about these challenges. I urge you to do everything you can to assist Mr. Williams in his work to address these mail service issues.

For more information about the USPS Postal Delays you can look here https://about.usps.com/newsroom/service-alerts/residential/welcome.htm.

For our most recent story about mail delays you can look here https://www.wdio.com/front-page/top-stories/mail-carrier-weighs-in-on-duluths-mail-service-problem/.