{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.smith.senate.gov/klobuchar-smith-urge-usps-to-protect-mail-service-during-wildfires-impacting-northern-minnesota/", "Klobuchar, Smith Urge USPS to Protect Mail Service During Wildfires Impacting Northern Minnesota", "2026-07-27", "2026", "2026-07", "Democrat", "Senate", "MN", "Tina Smith", "S001203", "www.smith.senate.gov", "tinasmith", "https://www.smith.senate.gov/press-releases/", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) are urging the United States Postal Service (USPS) Postmaster General to provide Minnesota with the necessary resources and support for postal operations impacted by wildfires.\n\n\u201cWe have heard from constituents who are concerned about mail delays resulting from the wildfires, and their ability to receive mail in the instance that they must evacuate,\u201d wrote the Senators. \u201cWe urge you to ensure that Minnesota post offices receive the resources and support needed to maintain reliable service and communicate effectively with residents.\u201d\n\nThe full letter is available here and below.\n\nDear Postmaster General Steiner:\n\nWe are writing regarding serious mail service concerns in Northeast Minnesota due to ongoing wildfires. We have heard from constituents who are concerned about mail delays resulting from the wildfires, and their ability to receive mail in the instance that they must evacuate. We urge you to ensure that Minnesota post offices receive the resources and support needed to maintain reliable service and communicate effectively with residents.\n\nMinnesotans depend on the Postal Service for essential needs like medications, Social Security benefits, business mail, and paycheck that they rely on for their health and livelihoods. We appreciate the hard work of our postal workers who serve their communities and deliver the mail through extreme conditions and road closures.\n\nTo that end, we request answers to the following questions:\n\nWhat is the U.S. Postal Service doing to address delivery issues affecting Minnesota communities affected by wildfires?\n\nDo postal operations in Northeast Minnesota have sufficient resources to ensure reliable delivery?\n\nHow is the Postal Service communicating service impacts to customers, including those who have evacuated and need access to medications and other important deliveries?\n\nMinnesotans depend on the Postal Service every day. We urge you to do everything you can to address these postal operations concerns, and ensure Minnesota post offices are able to reliably and safely serve Minnesotans during this emergency.\n\n###", 1, "2026-07-28T07:37:32Z", "2026-07-28T07:38:50Z"]], "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://www.smith.senate.gov/klobuchar-smith-urge-usps-to-protect-mail-service-during-wildfires-impacting-northern-minnesota/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.464606961235404, "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"}