Dear John,

Over the holidays, I’ve had increasing reports from countless constituents across the Second Congressional District that mail delivery service has been poor recently. Constituents in Lakeville, Eagan, Mendota Heights and others have shared with me that they are going 3-4 days without mail. In some cases, South Metro residents have reported going two weeks without receiving their mail.

This is unacceptable – and I’m demanding answers from USPS. Today, I wrote to Louis DeJoy, the United States Postmaster General, to demand that he and local officials address the situation and get mail delivery in Minnesota’s Second District back on track. You can see the text of my letter below.

I know our postal service employees and letter carriers are working overtime and doing their best to try and get us our packages and letters. But something is impacting operational planning that USPS must address.

The letter can be found below. I encourage you to contact my office if you are having any trouble navigating or accessing any federal agency, including your local post offices. For assistance, please visit https://craig.house.gov/casework.

December 30, 2022

Mr. Louis DeJoy

Postmaster General
United States Postal Service
475 L’Enfant Plaza SW, Room 10300
Washington, D.C. 20260-1000

Dear Postmaster General DeJoy:

I write to you today with great frustration regarding the state of mail delivery service across the Second Congressional District of Minnesota. My constituents have reported to me that they regularly go three to four days without receiving their mail; some have told me they haven’t received mail since December 16, 2022 - now 2 weeks ago. I’ve been told by local postal officials that a route would never go unserved for more than one day at a time, but it’s clear that is simply not the case.

The United States Postal Service’s creed reads, “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night,” and yet seniors and veterans are going without medication, businesses are missing payments and families are not receiving packages from loved ones during the holiday season. This is entirely unacceptable.

On November 5, I wrote to the USPS regarding the situation in Lakeville. On December 8, I held a call with the relevant USPS official for Minnesota, and yet still the poor delivery service has continued not just in Lakeville, but across the Second District. Short-staffing and increased holiday shipping volumes are understandable, but are beginning to sound like excuses. This no longer seems to be isolated to neighborhoods or even individual cities, but rather a larger issue across Minnesota. 

My constituents deserve answers and I request your response to the following questions:

1. For each post office in the Second District, since December 16, 2022, how many routes at each location went unserved and which day? 
2. For each post office in the Second District, what are the current staffing shortages and how quickly will USPS be able to be fully staffed? 
3. Which post offices in the Second District have had to deliver “package only” routes, which requires flats to go undelivered, and on which days? 
4. What power does the Postal Service hold to “surge” employees to necessary routes, and how can the hiring process be expedited to make the necessary deliveries on time?
5. How many packages, as of this letter, remain undelivered at each post office in the Second District?

Thank you for reviewing this letter and I look forward to your response on behalf of all Second District residents who deserve to have their medications, bills and packages arrive safely and on time.

Sincerely,

Angie Craig

Member of Congress