Hawley Presses Postmaster General to Withdraw Detrimental Rural Delivery Proposal

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Tuesday, February 11, 2025
Today U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.)sent a letterto U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy regarding a recent advisory opinion issued by the Postal Regulatory Commission that the Postal Service’s proposed Regional Transportation Optimization (RTO) would further delay mail delivery for Americans in rural areas.
“I urge you to halt implementation of this plan for the sake of rural Americans who depend on the mail and in accordance with the Post Office’s mission to serve all Americans,”wrote Senator Hawley. “. . . [T]hese proposed changes will leave America’s rural communities—including many in my home state of Missouri—with further degraded mail service at a time when rural families already face significant challenges with their mail.”
Senator Hawley has fought for rural Americans’ mail delivery as the challenges have continued without relief. In a recent Senate hearing, Senator Hawleypressedthe Postmaster General on this proposal before its release to urge his reconsideration. Senator Hawley alsointroducedtheRural Post Office Reconstruction Act toestablish a clear timeframe for reopening rural post offices that experience closure due to natural disaster damage or other unforeseen circumstances.
Read the full letterhereor below.
February 11, 2025Mr. Louis DeJoyPostmaster GeneralUnited States Postal Service475 L’Enfant Plaza SWWashington, DC 20260Dear Postmaster General DeJoy,On January 31, 2025, the Postal Regulatory Commission issued an advisory opinion concluding that the Postal Service’s proposed Regional Transportation Optimization (RTO) plan will degrade mail service in rural communities. To quote the report, the RTO plan will have “significant negative impacts on rural communities throughout the United States.” I urge you to halt implementation of this plan for the sake of rural Americans who depend on the mail and in accordance with the Post Office’s mission to serve all Americans.In its nearly 300-page opinion, the Regulatory Commission makes abundantly clear that the RTO’s proposed changes are built on forecasts of cost savings and efficiency gains that simply cannot be credited. Worse, these proposed changes will leave America’s rural communities—including many in my home state of Missouri—with further degraded mail service at a time when rural families already face significant challenges with their mail. Accordingly, the Regulatory Commission urged you to “reconsider whether the speculative, meager gains from this proposal outweigh the certain downgrade in service for a significant portion of the nation.”When you testified before the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee in December, I asked you directly whether you would stop implementation of the RTO plan if the Regulatory Commission advised against the plan. You suggested that you would move forward regardless. Now that the facts are in, I am counting on you to reconsider. To be clear: Rural Missourians and every other American from a rural area deserve a postal system that delivers dependable, high-quality service.Please answer the following questions:
Sincerely,
Josh HawleyUnited States Senator

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