USPS mail slowdown triggers legal action against 20 state attorneys general

The US Postal Service Controversy to slow down of mail delivery which began on October 1 causes a decline of 20 attorneys general. State officials – ranging from California to New York – on Thursday sued the Postal Regulatory Commission, alleging that the federal oversight agency did not fully review the broad plan before the USPS went to the front.

The Postal Regulatory Commission, or PRC, is the independent federal agency responsible for overseeing the operations of the postal service. The lawsuit claims that the PRC considered only a small part of a 10-year plan created by Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, which the complaint says “will transform virtually every aspect of the postal service.”

The PRC said it has received the complaint and will prepare a case file “and take it under advisement”. He said his rules forbid him to discuss the matter further.

The case should be created in a few days, the PRC added. The public “can follow the public debates by accessing the Commission’s records system on prc.gov,” he said in the emailed statement.

The USPS said in an email that the lawsuit “has no legal or factual basis, and the Postal Service intends to dismiss it under Postal Regulatory Commission rules.” He added, “The Postal Service has and will continue to follow all legal and regulatory requirements as we move forward with the implementation of our strategic plan to restore service excellence and financial sustainability.”

DeJoy argued that his 10-year plan will “wipe out” billions of dollars in predicted losses over the next decade by increasing revenue through increased parcel delivery and postage – but his plan also includes slowing the courier delivery. The USPS already increased shipping costs in August, and this month lowered its delivery standards so first class mail could now take up to 5 days to reach anyone in the United States, instead of the previous standard of three-day delivery.

The changes represent a “sweeping” plan that could “destroy the timely postal service that people depend on for drugs, bill payments and business operations in rural parts of the state,” the attorney general said Thursday. of North Carolina, Josh Stein, in a statement.

The prosecuting attorneys general represent: California, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Rhode Island, Washington and Washington, DC

Failed to get a full review?

The complaint alleges that Postmaster General DeJoy is moving forward with the 10-year plan despite failing to get a full review. The USPS only received an advisory opinion from the PRC for a few parts of the 10-year review, according to the complaint.

“To date, La Poste has only submitted two requests for an advisory opinion [from the PRC], which represent only a small part of the scope of the plan ”, alleges the complaint.

However, one of the issues considered by the PRC concerned the Postal Service’s plan to slow mail delivery. The PRC expressed concern about the slowdown, which will impact 4 of the 10 pieces of first class mail, such as letters, invoices and tax forms.

The USPS has argued that slower delivery standards will save money – a claim the PRC has questioned. “I don’t believe the Postal Service has proven its argument for lowering service standards for all Americans,” PRC Commissioner Ashley Poling wrote in a July report.

Despite concerns from the PRC, the postal agency forged ahead with its slower mail delivery standards, which went into effect on October 1. Other aspects of the plan have not been considered by the PRC, and the public has not had a chance to comment, according to the complaint. .

“With dependence on the timely postal service still at historic levels, including by low-income, rural and elderly populations, as well as by all levels of government, the decisions of the postal service are having consequences. criticism felt across the country, ”says the complaint.

He added: “Now, more than ever, there is a need for the Commission to carefully consider all of the radical changes in the postal service and give the public the opportunity to comment on them, as Congress intended.”