Press Release: 4/3/2026

Markey, Mass. Congressional Members Push for Postal Service to Fix Severe Delays in Mail Delivery

 



Letter Text (PDF)



Washington (April 2, 2026) - Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Representatives Jim McGovern (MA-02), Jake Auchincloss (MA-04), Katherine Clark (MA-05), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), and Stephen Lynch (MA-08) wrote to Tammy Hull, Inspector General of the United States Postal Service (USPS), demanding answers about the Massachusetts mail delivery system delays caused by understaffed and closed postal offices, inequitable mail delivery across communities, and USPS’ refusal of overtime pay for postal employees.



The lawmakers wrote, “We have heard many stories in Massachusetts: businesses whose sales are being negatively impacted; food pantries unable to access checks; and immigrants who undertook significant time and effort to get their green cards, only to be left in limbo because they never arrived in the mail. We have also heard from residents who have incurred late fees on bills that USPS failed to deliver on time, driving up costs at a time when life is already unaffordable for many residents.”



The lawmakers continued, “USPS should be governed by a simple mission: timely mail delivery six days a week for every resident and an accessible and adequately staffed local post office location nearby. This is what a just postal system looks like: not one where USPS fiscal mismanagement jeopardizes residents’ basic necessities, but one where every community is empowered with the resources residents need to thrive in our democracy.”



The lawmakers requested answers to the following questions by April 17, 2026:




  • Which post office locations and routes in Boston are fully staffed and which are understaffed?

  • What is USPS doing to ensure locations and routes are fully staffed in greater Boston?

  • Is USPS management allowing overtime for letter carriers when mail delivery is not meeting requirements? If not, under what authority is USPS management preventing the use of appropriate overtime, and how does that not violate the USPS Universal Service Obligation?

  • What is USPS doing to retain postal employees in understaffed neighborhoods in greater Boston?

  • Has USPS evaluated the disparities in adequate mail delivery across neighborhoods in Boston? What steps has USPS taken to ensure equitable mail delivery across communities?

  • What steps has USPS undertaken to re-open closed post offices in Massachusetts over the past year?

  • Under what rationale is USPS claiming it can close the Pine Point Contract Postal Unit in Springfield, given the impacts to the community and service availability?