US Senator Gary Peters announced on Tuesday that he has secured a senate committee hearing with the Postmaster General to discuss questions regarding changes to Postal operations.
Those changes include reducing operation time, decommissioning sorting machines, and removing mailboxes. Sorting equipment has reportedly been removed from Grand Rapids, Pontiac, and Detroit.
The changes have caused delivery slowdowns and raised concerns for Democrats about how the slowdowns could impact mail-in ballots during the November election.
US Senator Gary Peters said the changes are having impacts beyond election concerns.
“We have to remember that the postal service is the only delivery organization that delivers to every single address in America. It’s a lifeline to folks, particularly in rural areas. We have to fix it now, the quicker the better.”
The Postmaster General announcedahead of the hearing that he will suspend reforms until after the election.
But, he said in a statement, he believes “significant reforms are essential” to the long term sustainability of the post office.
Senator Peters said questions remain over whether mailboxes or mail sorting equipment that has already been removed will be returned before November third.