For many in eastern Arkansas, lost mail or lengthy delivery delays have become frustratingly persistent problems. I routinely hear from folks throughout the First District, and have experienced personally, these failures; they all stem from a systemic issue at the Memphis United States Postal Service (USPS) sorting facility. When I visited Marianna this week, a resident told me that he will always use FedEx or UPS for time-sensitive mail because he cannot rely on USPS. Another commented that he would rather drive to Brinkley, where mail is sent to the sorting facility in Little Rock, if he wants timely letter delivery. Even worse, many elderly have not received checks or have been charged fees due to payments arriving late.
The unreliability of this facility is not a new problem. My staff and I have previously driven to Memphis for an unannounced visit with the USPS facility manager to discuss the persistent failures that are affecting tens of thousands of people. While service did seem to improve subsequent to our meeting, the sorting facility has returned to its previous state of malfunction.
I am now in the process of arranging for congressmen from Tennessee and Mississippi, whose districts are also impacted by the delays, to join me in a follow-up meeting with facility management to make clear that USPS must make improvements immediately. If a turnaround doesn't happen quickly, then we may need to consider legislative action to relocate the facility. Many depend on our mail to pay bills or receive life-saving medications and supplies. The current performance of this system is unacceptable and we must find a solution.
