Central ND News

Senator John Hoeven held a roundtable today with U.S. Postal Service (USPS) Minnesota-North Dakota District Manager Angela Bye and Midwest Processing Division Director Kathy Hand to discuss proposed changes to regional mail processing and efforts to improve mail service across North Dakota. This meeting is part of Hoeven’s ongoing collaboration with USPS, including Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, to address mail service concerns in the state.

Hoeven has been actively working with DeJoy to facilitate this community meeting, marking the first of its kind for USPS. The senator emphasized the need for transparency regarding planned changes and urged USPS leaders to answer public questions. He also requested that USPS establish a point of contact for stakeholders such as developers, county officials, and newspapers to address localized issues.

Hoeven called on District Manager Bye to continue implementing recommendations from the USPS Office of Inspector General (OIG) audit of the Minnesota-North Dakota District completed earlier this year. The audit identified deficiencies in delayed mail, package scanning, arrow keys, staffing, and property conditions at a district-wide level. The OIG aims to implement all seven recommendations by November 2024.

The senator is working to ensure that any changes in mail processing do not negatively impact mail service, including local newspaper delivery. Earlier this year, Hoeven successfully lobbied USPS to pause its Mail Processing Facility Review (MPFR), which included proposed changes in Grand Forks and Bismarck until after January 1, 2025. Following these efforts, USPS agreed to open a review process with the Postal Regulatory Commission regarding the impacts of the proposed MPFR changes.

“We appreciate Postmaster DeJoy and District Manager Bye for working with us to set up this first-of-its-kind meeting,” said Hoeven. “Today’s roundtable is about transparency, public engagement and ensuring timely mail service for households and businesses across the state who rely on USPS daily.”

In addition, Hoeven is sponsoring legislation aimed at ensuring reliable and timely mail service in North Dakota and nationwide. This includes:

- The Deliver for Democracy Act: Introduced by Senators Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), this legislation aims to ensure timely delivery of local newspapers by USPS and limit excessive rate increases.

- The Postal Delivery Accountability Act: Introduced by Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), this bill seeks to improve USPS delivery tracking and accountability systems.