WASHINGTON - Amid reports of missing and irregular mail delivery in Duluth and surrounding communities, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) spoke with U.S. Postal Service (USPS) Minnesota-North Dakota District Manager Anthony Williams to raise concern about the ongoing issues and discuss solutions.

“Minnesotans rely on the Postal Service to receive their paychecks, access their prescriptions, and stay connected to family and friends. This week I spoke with the U.S. Postal Service’s Minnesota-North Dakota District Manager Anthony Williams about solutions to fix the postal delays that have impacted Duluth and surrounding communities, and I am also pushing Postmaster General Louis DeJoy for further assistance. Among several factors, delivery is being affected by staffing shortages and I encourage everyone who is interested to apply to join the U.S. Postal Service workforce and help ensure Minnesotans continue receiving reliable mail service,” said Klobuchar.

Those interested in employment with the USPS should visit USPS.com/careers.

Additionally, in a letter to U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, Klobuchar pushed for further assistance. Full text of the letter is available HERE and below.

Klobuchar has long worked to ensure Minnesotans can enjoy reliable postal service. Earlier this year, bipartisan legislation she supported to bolster the USPS’ long-term financial stability and help address delivery delays and other operational reforms was signed into law. Klobuchar also successfully pushed for a moratorium on the closing or consolidation of post offices and mail processing facilities, and she has advocated for preserving rural post offices.

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Dear Mr. DeJoy:

I write to follow up on mail delays that are adversely affecting my constituents. In August, I contacted you regarding mail service issues in Rochester, Minnesota and I understand that the U.S. Postal Service provided certain flexibilities to Minnesota post offices to help address those delays. Recently, I have received reports of significant mail delivery issues from residents across

Minnesota, particularly in the Duluth and Minneapolis-St. Paul areas. Residents have reported that they have not received mail deliveries for as long as two weeks, and when deliveries do arrive they are often incomplete. These delays do not just mean residents have gone without holiday gifts, but that they are not receiving federal checks, business mail, medications, and paychecks that they rely on for their health and livelihoods.

I appreciate the hard work that Minnesota postal workers do to deliver mail, especially with increased mail volume during the holidays and in the face of winter storms and road closures. Staffing shortages have made their jobs more difficult, and these shortages continue to be a significant cause for mail delays in Minnesota.

Minnesotans depend on the United States Postal Service every day. I appreciate the continued work of Anthony Williams, the United States Postal Service District Manager for Minnesota and North Dakota, who I recently spoke with about these challenges. I urge you to do everything you can to assist Mr. Williams in his work to address these mail service issues.

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