As District residents wait for tax refunds, stimulus checks and even utility bills, complaints are mounting over a U.S. Postal Service delivery slowdown.
Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) said Monday that she’s growing impatient with the Postal Service, which some sections of the city have reported as much as a three-week delay in receiving their mail.
In a terse letter to acting District of Columbia Postmaster Eddie Masangcay, Norton called the delays “simply unacceptable.”
“Delayed or undelivered mail is always concerning,” the Democratic congresswoman said in an accompanying press statement. “But it’s particularly problematic during the current pandemic when D.C. residents are relying more than ever on mail.”
A recent Washington Post report noted that Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s crackdown on postal worker overtime, coronavirus-related slowdowns and a pregnant mail carrier on leave have all been cited as reasons for the delays.
The Postal Service has denied any deliberate slowdown.
“We absolutely are looking into these concerns recently raised by customers,” said USPS spokesperson Felicia M. Lott, a postal service spokesperson. “We take pride in delivering for our customers and remain totally committed to identifying and correcting errant processes in our operations as early as possible.”
Norton said residents have repeatedly told her that there is an increase in delayed and undelivered mail throughout the District. She has asked Masangcay to respond to her letter by the end of the month with details on how the Postal Service plans to address the problems.
“Missing and undelivered mail often contains life-saving medications, tax and financial documents, and bills,” Norton said. “The consequences are affecting the health and livelihoods of D.C. residents, and USPS must act swiftly to fix the problem.”
