{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://pappas.house.gov/media/press-releases/pappas-postal-caucus-chairs-introduce-bipartisan-postal-suspension-transparency-act", "Pappas, Postal Caucus Chairs Introduce Bipartisan Postal Suspension Transparency Act", "2025-12-22", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "House", "NH", "Chris Pappas", "P000614", "pappas.house.gov", "pappas", "https://pappas.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Representatives Chris Pappas (NH-01), Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), Jack Bergman (MI-01), and Andrew Garbarino (NY-02), the bipartisan Co-Chairs of the Congressional Postal Service Caucus, introduced bipartisan legislation to increase transparency around temporary post office closures, known as \u201cemergency suspensions.\u201d The Postal Suspension Transparency Act would require the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to publicly post all temporary closures, alternative services available, and the estimated end date of the disruption in service.\n\n\u201cWithout proper public notice, the temporary suspension of mail service at local post offices can leave people without the ability to receive essential packages and medication, respond to their mail in a timely fashion, and can harm the operations of our small businesses, non-profits, and more,\u201d said Congressman Pappas. \u201cOur legislation is a simple fix that will bring transparency to the emergency suspension process and guarantee that everyone knows how they will be able to receive their mail through the duration of any temporary post office closure.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhen local post offices are unexpectedly suspended, residents are often left in the dark - unsure when service will resume and forced, especially in rural areas, to travel to neighboring towns just to collect their mail. For many elderly residents, that burden can be especially difficult. In Michigan\u2019s Upper Peninsula, some post offices have remained \u2018suspended\u2019 for years - Ramsay has been closed since 2019, and just last week Deerton was suspended, leaving residents with more questions than answers. Our communities deserve timely, transparent communication when postal services are disrupted, and I\u2019m proud to help co-lead this bipartisan bill with Representatives Pappas, Garbarino, and Budzinski,\u201d said Congressman Bergman.\n\n\u201cA post office is a core part of any community, and when it\u2019s not operating, the public deserves timely and transparent notice. When people are left in the dark, it disrupts businesses, delays critical packages, and hinders access to essential mail that can impact someone's health and wellbeing. This legislation provides a clear and necessary fix to ensure communities are kept informed. It is one of many steps we as Members of Congress must take to strengthen mail service and ensure reliability for the American people,\u201d said Congresswoman Budzinski.\n\n\u201cWhen a local post office is suddenly closed, families, seniors, and small businesses are often left in the dark about how to receive essential mail,\u201d said Congressman Garbarino. \u201cThis bipartisan legislation brings common-sense transparency to the emergency suspension process by ensuring the Postal Service clearly communicates when closures are happening, what services are available, and when normal operations are expected to resume. As Co-Chair of the Postal Service Caucus, I\u2019m proud to work across the aisle to make sure communities have the information they need when disruptions occur.\u201d\n\nSpecifically, this bill would require USPS to establish a publicly accessible and searchable website that provides the following information on each \u201ccovered post office\u201d, which the bill defines as a post office at which \u201coperations have been temporarily suspended pursuant to subchapter 61 of the Postal Service Handbook PO-101, or any successor policy.\u201d Information required to be shared for each post office under emergency suspension would include: street address; suspension date; reason for emergency suspension; alternative services available, including how to request curbside delivery; the location of and hours of operation for the nearest retail postal facility; and to the extent reasonable, an estimated date for the resumption of retail postal service.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"]], "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://pappas.house.gov/media/press-releases/pappas-postal-caucus-chairs-introduce-bipartisan-postal-suspension-transparency-act"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.6705170273780823, "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"}