Pryor's letter to the USPS

In a letter to the United States Postal Service (USPS), U.S. Senator Mark Pryor today called on USPS to follow the law when deciding which post offices it intends to close as part of cost-cutting measures.

While Pryor agrees that USPS needs to implement cost-cutting measures to reduce its deficit, he urged the agency to closely adhere to the law and proper procedures when making decisions that will negatively impact communities in Arkansas. According to USPS documents, 179 post offices in Arkansas have been slated for possible closure or consolidation. Nationwide, 3,700 post offices are being considered for possible discontinuance.

The USPS has not requested or received an advisory opinion from the Postal Regulatory Commission, a step that requires substantial documentation and justification, before the agency can move forward with closures. Additionally, Pryor requested a detailed breakdown of the criteria and process that USPS is using to assess closures.

“Post offices play an important role to keep rural communities connected to commerce and news. That’s why it’s critical a full and fair assessment is completed before USPS closes any doors. Instead, we’re seeing the postal service fail to deliver both on our expectations and the law,” Pryor said. “I will continue to work with other rural-state Senators until the process is done right.”