Joyce Remarks at Oversight Hearing on the United States Postal Service's Role in 2024 Election Mail Readiness

The Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government will come to order.

Good Morning.

I'd like to welcome the United States Postmaster General, Louis DeJoy (De-Joy). I appreciate your participation in today's hearing to give members of the subcommittee the opportunity to discuss election readiness and general oversight of the United States Postal Service.

I will be brief, because I know my colleagues and I are eager to engage with you.

The U.S. Postal Service has long been a cornerstone of American society, connecting families and communities and providing essential services like delivering prescriptions to the elderly, mailing election ballots to our military serving overseas and citizens throughout the United States, and helping communities prosper by connecting small businesses beyond their own city limits.

While I expect a robust conversation this morning about the challenges facing the Postal Service and concerns about declining delivery standards, I want to be clear that any frustrations with Postal Service leadership should not be perceived to extend to the hardworking postal service workers and letter carriers across the country. These individuals work long hours to bring needed deliveries to our neighbors, connect our communities, and ensure the continued flow of commerce.

All of us up here have heard from our constituents who are concerned about declining Postal Service standards. The changes made under the Delivering for America plan have brought new challenges, and the deteriorating performance of mail delivery, reduced mail routes, and rising delivery costs are frustrating both customers and businesses alike. From metropolitan cities to rural communities, disappointment in our nation's mail delivery system is widespread.

For example, under the Delivering for America's plan to streamline and improve operations, the Richmond, Virginia processing facility saw a staggering 21 percent drop in on-time performance for First-Class Mail. And in Atlanta, Georgia, the situation was even worse-after similar changes, on-time performance for First-Class Mail plummeted by 51 percent. Unfortunately, many of these changes have served to further erode public confidence in the U.S. Postal Service.

It is important for us to remember that these are not just numbers on a report. We're talking about missed prescriptions, late checks, and delayed legal documents that directly harm American citizens.

As we approach the Presidential election, many of our constituents have expressed concerns about the Postal Service's ability to deliver election ballots securely and on time.

It is imperative that the Postal Service gets this right. Voting by mail increased by 25 percent from 2016 to 2020, and we expect that voting by mail will be popular again during the 2024 Presidential Election.

We look forward to hearing how the Postal Service is approaching each step of the ballot delivery process, from postmarking, movement through postal facilities, and final transport to county election centers.

Voters should never have to worry if their ballot will be postmarked on time or if their ballot will reach their election center in time to be counted. The reliable delivery and processing of every vote isn't just a matter of efficiency-it's a fundamental expectation.

Today, our goal here is to give you the opportunity to reassure Americans that the Postal Service is fully prepared and ready to serve the American people during this election cycle and beyond.

I look forward to today's dialogue to discuss these and other pertinent topics.

I'll now turn to my friend and our acting Ranking Member, Mr. Cartwright, for his opening remarks.

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