Manchin: Administration Must Give Local Postal Managers Authority To Manage Mail Machines
Charleston, WV – Today, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) visited and toured the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) South Charleston Processing and Distribution Center (P&DC) to check on the out of service and idled machines at the facility and thank USPS workers for their efforts to get West Virginians their mail. During his visit, Senator Manchin was appalled at the lack of authority local postal managers have to adjust their mail machines as volume demands change.
“Today’s visit was another opportunity to see for myself the situation on the ground and hear directly from our hard working postal workers. While I appreciate the commitment to do no more harm, we still need to clean up the mess that has already been made,” said Senator Manchin. “I am calling on President Trump and Postmaster General DeJoy to give local managers at these facilities, like the one here in Charleston, West Virginia, the authority to turn back on sorting and processing machines to meet volume demands as they arise. Every American should receive their medications, Social Security benefits, and election ballots on time. Empowering local managers to meet the needs of their communities is a simple, commonsense way to ensure our Postal Service can operate effectively.”
Timeline of Senator Manchin’s efforts to protect the Postal Service:
? August 17, 2020 – Senator Manchin called on U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy to immediately reinstate the critical mail sorting machines at the USPS South Charleston Processing and Distribution Center.
? August 17, 2020 – Senator Manchin condemned operational changes being implemented in post offices and processing centers. These actions are currently causing mail delays in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020 Census, and election cycle.
? August 17, 2020 – Senator Manchin visited and toured the South Charleston USPS Processing and Distribution Center to show his appreciation for the postal workers and Postal Service.
? August 14, 2020 – Senator Manchin visited and toured four U.S. Postal Service locations in West Virginia to show his appreciation for the postal workers and the Postal Service.
? August 13, 2020 – Senator Manchin wrote a letter to U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy urging him to immediately cease operational changes that are causing mail delays so that Veterans do not needlessly suffer from illnesses exacerbated by delayed medication deliveries.
? August 12, 2020 – Senator Manchin expressed significant concern to U.S. Postmaster General DeJoy that the USPS is implementing changes that could increase delivery time and costs of election mail and urged him to not take any further action that makes it harder and more expensive for states and election jurisdictions to mail ballots.
? August 4, 2020 – Senator Manchin introduced the Protect Our Services Today (POST) Act to save post offices from closure during the COVID-19 pandemic.
? July 31, 2020 – Senator Manchin received assurances from the USPS that the post office closings throughout West Virginia were a misunderstanding and there would be no post office closings at the time.
? July 28, 2020 – Senator Manchin requested clarification from U.S. Postmaster General DeJoy on reported post office closures across West Virginia.
? July 8, 2020 – Senator Manchin led a resolution pressing for more funding in future COVID-19 relief packages to offset costs incurred by the USPS due to the pandemic.
? October 26, 2018 – Senator Manchin co-sponsored a resolution opposing the privatization of USPS.
? April 5, 2013 – Senator Manchin co-sponsored the Postal Service Protection Act, which addressed USPS financial issues, prevented post office closures, protected Saturday delivery services, and saved American jobs, including protecting the Clarksburg mail processing plant from closure.
? May 9, 2012 – Senator Manchin announced that 3,700 rural post offices would remain open.
? May 7, 2012 – Senator Manchin led a bipartisan letter to extend the moratorium on post office closures until postal service reform bill was passed into law.
? April 25, 2012 – Senator Manchin voted against postal reform bill in the Senate, which would have done little to address financial issues at USPS and would have disproportionately hurt West Virginia’s citizens, businesses, postal workers, and retirees.
? April 25, 2012 – Senator Manchin introduced an amendment that would have ensured that all postal facilities targeted for closure would remain open for at least two years while USPS worked to improve its finances. Senator Manchin’s provision would have also saved 35,000 jobs at mail processing facilities around the country.
? December 13, 2011 – Following calls by Senator Manchin to delay any moves impacting USPS, the Postmaster General agreed to grant a five-month delay to rural post office closings and mail center consolidations in West Virginia and elsewhere.
? August 8, 2011 – Senator Manchin led the West Virginia Congressional Delegation in warning against the consolidation of postal facilities.
? July 26, 2011 – Senator Manchin condemned the potential closures of 3,700 postal facilities, including 150 in West Virginia.
Next Article Previous Article
