WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp today called on her colleagues and U.S. Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe to not forget about rural America as work continues to reform the U.S. Postal Service (USPS).
During a Senate hearing on postal service reform, Heitkamp warned that legislation must take into account the importance of postal service to rural areas and that significant service changes could be detrimental to the livelihood of North Dakotans and others throughout rural America.
“During today’s hearing, I again made clear to both Postmaster General Donahoe and my colleagues how important a strong postal service is to North Dakota and all of rural America,” said Heitkamp, a member of the Committee that oversees the USPS. “Congress needs to help USPS address its financial challenges, but we must do so in a commonsense way that protects service standards in rural America and treats postal workers fairly. A strong postal service boosts rural economies, and provides a valuable service for residents. I will continue working with my colleagues to shape a postal reform bill that fully takes into account USPS’s impact on rural jobs and communities.”
Heitkamp questioned Donahoe today at a Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee hearing. Heitkamp also heard from representatives of postal workers and letter carriers, who testified at the hearing.
Earlier this summer during a meeting with Donahoe, Heitkamp secured a commitment from Donahoe to help solve some of the postal challenges facing North Dakota. The Postmaster promised assistance in meeting hiring challenges in North Dakota and improving service for oil field housing units.
On February 15, Heitkamp and 23 other Senators sent a letter to Donahoe expressing their concerns about how USPS’ plans to move to five-day mail delivery service could disproportionately hurt jobs and mail service in rural communities, including throughout North Dakota. On March 7, she personally met with Donahoe to explain the harmful impact of five-day mail delivery on rural communities. In April, USPS announced it would continue six-day mail delivery.