Reps. Adams, Lawrence, Connolly, Lynch, and Others Request Investigation into Decline of USPS’s On-Time Mail Delivery

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, Representatives Alma S. Adams, Ph.D. (NC-12), Brenda L. Lawrence (MI-14), Gerald E. Connolly (VA-11), and Stephen F. Lynch (MA-08) led 71 of their House colleagues in sending a letter to the United States Postal Service Inspector General to request an investigation into the decline in on-time mail delivery in the weeks leading up to the November 2020 Election.

Throughout the pandemic, and even as states enacted stay-at-home orders, Postal Service employees have consistently risked their own health and safety to report to work in order to serve as a crucial lifeline to millions of Americans nationwide. Since his hiring, however, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy has irresponsibly enacted a series of flawed operational changes that have slowed mail delivery times and significantly undermined the efforts of the more than 600,000 Postal Service employees who have worked tirelessly to promptly and efficiently deliver mail. During the 2020 election season, the American public's confidence in one of its most trusted agencies faltered as Mr. DeJoy's changes caused considerable delays in delivery times of mail, including ballots.

"Less than a week before the election, Postal Service on-time delivery numbers showed a significant drop in the agency's ability to deliver ballots before Election Day, creating the possibility that countless ballots nationwide might not be delivered on time," wrote the Members. "This trend is emblematic of the decline in service performance in 17 postal districts nationwide that may impact the ability of thousands of Americans to have their votes counted in this election."

A copy of the letter is available here.

The Members requested that Inspector General Tammy Whitcomb conduct an immediate investigation into the origins of mail delivery delays and the impacts they had on the timely arrival of mail-in ballots.

"While conducting this investigation, we ask that you complete a full accounting of any corrective actions taken by local Postal Service employees to ensure that all ballots were delivered as quickly as possible in districts nationwide that experienced a decrease in on-time mail delivery—including any actions taken by senior Postal Service officials to impede these efforts," wrote the Representatives. Members specifically requested that Inspector General Whitcomb "evaluate whether—and specifically how—the Postal Service complied with Postmaster General DeJoy's announcement that he would be suspending operational changes until after the election, and what additional resources Postmaster General DeJoy authorized as part of his October 1 directive."

As the pandemic rages on, it is critical the cause of these delays be fully known so that the Postal Service can continue to fulfill its essential functions for Americans, including its role in a nationwide effort to distribute COVID-19 vaccines, life-saving medication, and e-commerce in the coming months.

The full list of signers includes Representatives Alma Adams, Sanford Bishop, Earl Blumenauer, Lisa Blunt Rochester, André Carson, Ed Case, Kathy Castor, David Cicilline, Yvette Clarke, Wm. Lacy Clay, Emanuel Cleaver, Steve Cohen, Gerald Connolly, Jim Cooper, Jim Costa, Peter DeFazio, Mark DeSaulnier, Debbie Dingell, Mike Doyle, Bill Foster, Marcia Fudge, Jimmy Gomez, Raúl Grijalva, Deb Haaland, Alcee Hastings, Jared Huffman, Hank Johnson, Marcy Kaptur, Robin Kelly, Ro Khanna, Daniel Kildee, Raja Krishnamoorthi, James Langevin, John Larson, Brenda Lawrence, Al Lawson, Barbara Lee, Ted Lieu, Alan Lowenthal, Stephen Lynch, Carolyn Maloney, Betty McCollum, James McGovern, Jerry McNerney, Stephanie Murphy, Jerrold Nadler, Eleanor Norton, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Frank Pallone, Jimmy Panetta, Chellie Pingree, Katie Porter, Ayanna Pressley, Mike Quigley, Jamie Raskin, Lucille Roybal-Allard, Tim Ryan, Linda Sánchez, John Sarbanes, Mary Gay Scanlon, Jan Schakowsky, Bradley Schneider, Adam Smith, Jackie Speier, Thomas Suozzi, Eric Swalwell, Mark Takano, Rashida Tlaib, Lauren Underwood, Nydia Velázquez, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Maxine Waters, Bonnie Watson Coleman, Peter Welch, and Jennifer Wexton.

Congresswoman Alma Adams represents North Carolina's 12th Congressional District (Charlotte) and serves as Vice Chair of the House Committee on Agriculture. Additionally, she serves on the House Financial Services Committee and the House Education & Labor Committee, where she serves as Chair of the Workforce Protections Subcommittee. She is a leader on Postal Service issues in the House of Representatives, and she was the first Member of Congress to call on Postmaster General Louis DeJoy to resign.