Letter to Louis DeJoy, Postmaster General and Chief Executive Officer of the US Postal Service - Latta Renews Push for Mail Processing in Toledo

Letter

Dear Postmaster General DeJoy:

Thank you for your commitment to maintaining a dialogue with Congress regarding service issues in Ohio. In light of the recent passage and signage into law of the Postal Service Reform Act of 2022 (P.L. 117-89), I write to follow up on my previous request to expand operations at the Toledo, OH, Processing and Distribution Center (P&DC) to allow for the permanent return of mail processing responsibilities for Northwest Ohio, instead of the USPS continuing to utilize the Michigan Metroplex Facility in Pontiac, Michigan for these duties.

As you have been made aware, the communities I represent in Northwest Ohio have been adversely impacted by the closure and consolidation of mail processing facilities over the last fifteen years. When these facilities were consolidated, the mail processing operations were moved to facilities outside Detroit, Michigan. Ever since this decision was made, residents, businesses, churches, courts, and Boards of Elections in Northwest Ohio have experienced countless delays in mail delivery, lost or discarded mail pieces, and other failures.

One of the arguments that has been made to me in favor of maintaining the status quo is that the USPS does not have the financial resources to devote to expanding operations in Toledo. I have been told that Congress needed to act to help the USPS regain its financial footing in order for it to be feasible to have all Northwest Ohio mail processed in Ohio.

The Postal Service Reform Act of 2022 was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Biden on April 6, 2022. Among its many provisions, this bill would eliminate the USPS' requirement to refund retiree health benefits and require future retirees to enroll in Medicare. It is estimated that these reforms would save the USPS almost $50 billion over the next ten years. These savings could then be redirected to the expansion and improvement of mail processing operations across the country, including in Ohio.

It is essential that the USPS improves its operations to restore the confidence my constituents previously held for the agency. They rely on the timely delivery of mail so they can run their businesses, pay their bills, keep in touch with loved ones, and perform their civic duties of voting and serving on juries. Now that Congress has acted to greatly improve the fiscal state of the USPS, mail processing operations should be scaled up and returned to the Toledo, OH, Processing and Distribution Center.

I would appreciate your full and fair consideration of this request, consistent with applicable statutes and regulations, and look forward to working with you to ensure any issues with the delivery of mail can be addressed. Thank you again for your continued leadership.

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