{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://balint.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=41", "Sanders, Welch, Balint Demand Answers from Postal Service Leadership on Postal Delays in Hinesburg and Across Vermont", "2023-02-17", "2023", "2023-02", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Becca Balint", "B001318", "balint.house.gov", "balint", "https://balint.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and Rep. Becca Balint (D-Vt.) on Thursday sent two letters to the leadership of the United States Postal Service (USPS) demanding answers and accountability regarding postal issues affecting workers and service in communities across Vermont. These letters \u2013 one to the USPS Board of Governors and one to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy \u2013 were the first sent by the newly-formed Vermont Delegation in the 118th Congress, continuing ongoing delegation efforts to resolve postal issues across the state.\n\n\u201cWe write with great concern regarding the ongoing staffing crisis and resulting mail delays at United States Postal Service locations across Vermont,\u201d the delegation wrote in both letters to USPS leadership. \u201cIn the last month alone, we have received a particularly high volume of calls from the Chittenden County town of Hinesburg about insufficient staffing that has resulted in poor customer service. We have heard similar concerning reports from post offices in Williston, South Burlington, and Windham County. These issues are unacceptable; our constituents deserve better.\u201d\n\nThe delegation laid out urgent requests for action, assessments, and recommendations. The letters include questions and requests for information covering a wide range of issues, including an immediate plan of action to fix the egregious postal issues in Hinesburg, improvements to USPS\u2019 hiring process, and actions to address postal workers\u2019 needs, delays in mail delivery, leadership deficiencies, and holiday performance. The delegation requested answers by no later than March 1, 2023.\n\nIn the letters, Sanders, Welch, and Balint described serious reports of mail delays that have lasted multiple weeks, local businesses and individuals that have missed bill payments, and even older Vermonters who have been forced to order emergency prescription replacements because their original medication never arrived or arrived in unusable condition. The delegation has also heard from numerous constituents whose regular mail was significantly delayed due to the prioritization of third-party packages, including from Amazon. \u201cThis is an outrage,\u201d they wrote.\n\nTo the Board of Governors, the delegation wrote: \u201cFor years, our Vermont Congressional Delegation has engaged with Postmaster General DeJoy and regional Postal Service leadership in an attempt to address mail delays and staffing issues, yet no help has come. Vermonters understand what we know to be true: passing the Postal Service Reform Act was critical in ensuring the Postal Service has the financial footing necessary to adequately staff the agency and restore delivery service. We, along with our constituents, expect meaningful progress.\u201d\n\nTo Postmaster DeJoy, the delegation wrote: \u201cAs Postmaster General, you are responsible for the timely delivery of the mail. As the Vermont Delegation noted in our December 2021 letter to you, when you fail in that mission you fail Vermont\u2019s seniors, veterans, people with disabilities, and small business owners\u2026 We have made our and our constituents\u2019 frustrations regarding your leadership failures clear. The U.S. Postal Service is a critical government agency, not a money-making machine. We expect you to take these staffing issues in Vermont and across the country seriously, and to focus on meeting the Postal Service\u2019s duties to the American people.\u201d\n\nRead the delegation letter to the USPS Board of Governors, here.\n\nRead the delegation letter to Postmaster General DeJoy, here.\n\nRead past delegation letters to Postmaster DeJoy, in 2020 and 2021, here.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T23:18:08Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://balint.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=41"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.6819690354168415, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}