Sen. Jen Metzger Calls for Increased Federal Funding for USPS and Reversal of Federal Slowdown Policies

The United States Postal Service is an essential public good that communities in our region and across the state and country rely on for news, personal and financial correspondence, small-business commerce, and timely access to life-saving medications. We are in the midst of a global pandemic and just months away from the November 3 general election, and it is reckless and imprudent to implement sweeping organizational changes to our Postal Service that slow critical parcel delivery at this time. 

Today my office stood with the American Postal Workers Union and Hudson Valley Area Labor Federation in Ulster County. The Postal Service’s public approval rating is higher than any other federal agency, which is a testament to how hard our friends and neighbors work to serve the American people and residents in our communities. Rural New Yorkers in particular, many of whom already lack access to reliable high-speed internet service, depend on the Postal Service to stay connected, and jeopardizing this service would only further increase rural isolation. Lack of adequate public transportation in rural areas further increases dependence on the mail for such timely necessities as medications.

Our federal representatives in the House have passed legislation to allocate $25 billion in funding to protect the Postal Service, and I strongly urge that federal action be taken in the Senate so that the Postal Service can continue to provide reliable and efficient service to our communities."