Friends,

Exciting news: I just joined my Senate colleagues to pass the Postal Service Reform Act with a bipartisan majority, and it now heads to President Biden’s desk for signature.

I understand how important it is that the USPS runs well – it delivers critical medications, bills, benefits, and packages to folks all across the Commonwealth. Almost all Virginians rely on it, and for too long it hasn't been dependable. I personally visited a few post offices to talk through the obstacles to providing consistent, on time delivery in different towns across Virginia, and listened to suggestions about how local post offices could be better supported at a federal level – and some of those ideas have been incorporated into this bill. 

While this won’t be a magic bullet to immediately solve all problems at all post offices, I’m hopeful that this will alleviate some of the institutional issues plaguing the USPS, allowing post offices to function better. More specifically, it will do the following:

1. Eliminate unnecessary financial constraints placed on the service by Congress that have hurt the Postal Service financially.

2. Require the Postal Service to maintain its standard of delivering at least six days a week. 

3. Improve transparency of Postal Service operations.

I’m proud to work towards solutions that improve services for all Virginians, and I’m hopeful that with this federal action – and my continued promise to stay alert to local USPS conditions – mail delivery will start improving everywhere across the Commonwealth. 

If you’re interested, I’ve also released videos and graphics about this bill. Please feel free to share them on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. If you’re interested in contacting my office about postal reform or another issue, you can always email me through my website here.

Sincerely,