May 07, 2021

Manchin Bill To Improve U.S. Postal Service Delivery Service, Prevent Further Delays

Charleston, WV – U.S. Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV), Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) are introducing the Delivering Envelopes Judiciously On-time Year-round Act (DeJoy Act) to prevent changes that negatively impact delivery standards within the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). The DeJoy Act would block USPS from moving forward with a new 10-year plan that weakens the agency’s abilities to efficiently deliver mail, keeping standards established on January 1, 2021.

"For rural communities across the country our U.S. Postal Service provides an irreplaceable service. West Virginians depend on USPS to deliver medicines and bills or support their small businesses. The delays in service over the course of the last year have had serious impacts on rural communities, and it’s a travesty that the Postmaster General wants to double down on that poor service by making it the standard going forward. We should be striving for excellence, not codifying mediocrity. The DeJoy Act would ensure West Virginians can rely on USPS again by requiring delivery standards for first-class mail to be met. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join me to ensure USPS is delivering on time again," said Senator Manchin.

Senator Manchin has been outspoken on the need for the USPS to address persistent mail delays that have harmed small businesses and West Virginians. In February 2021, Senator Manchin led 34 Senators in calling on Postmaster General Louis DeJoy to address persistent mail delays and clarify what actions he is taking to restore on-time mail delivery. In September 2020, Senator Manchin introduced legislation that would ensure that the U.S. Postal Service remains nonpartisan and nonpolitical.

A timeline of Senator Manchin’s efforts to protect the Postal Service can be found here.

Bill text can be found here