USPS to Slow Mail Delivery Service: Starting Tomorrow

 If you think the United States Postal Service (USPS) currently takes a long time to deliver mail cross-country, starting tomorrow, your letters and packages will take even longer to travel long distances, after the USPS announced increased travel time for its deliveries.

     The increased time that mail will spend in transit is a result of the USPS prioritizing ground transportation in place of air transportation, which USPS spokesperson Kim Frum, said is more costly and less reliable.

     In addition, the USPS is further cutting post office hours, which have been steadily reduced in past years.

     The mail delivery service changes will not affect about 60% of first-class mail, however, and nearly all periodicals. In addition, within local areas, the standard delivery time for single-pieces of first-class mail will remain at two days.

     The USPS changes, which are sure to cause inconvenience for many Americans, are part of embattled Postmaster General Louis DeJoy's 10-year ambitious plan called "Delivering for America," which promises to make the Postal Service more competitive and more modern: by including a new energy-friendly fleet of delivery vehicles.

     Many Democrats have called for the dismissal of DeJoy, who contributes substantially to the Republican Party and to former President Donald Trump, who has opposed aid to the USPS, some say to undercut voting by mail, which some say helped win President Joe Biden the election, although Democrats likely would have voted for Biden in person, as well.

    Republicans seem to support DeJoy, however, as someone who can improve beleaguered agency, however several senior Democrats have blasted DeJoy’s plan, with House Oversight and Reform Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney of New York criticizing what she called the "unacceptable decision to make mail delivery ‘permanently slower.’" 

    Michigan Sen. Gary Peters said he was concerned the service changes would hurt Americans "who rely on the Postal Service for prescription drugs, financial documents, running their small businesses and more."

     In February, President Biden, who had promised to make the USPS a priority, nominated three new members to the agency's Board of Governors, which is responsible for the hiring and firing of postmasters, was a move that some lawmakers hoped would eventually lead to DeJoy's removal.