Northeast Georgia's Ninth District Congressman Andrew Clyde on Thursday announced he has sent a letter to the U.S. Postal Service to request an audit and investigation into recent mail delays in North Georgia.
The letter was addressed to USPS Inspector General Tammy Hull, and came after the agency's recent consolidation process in North Georgia. During that process, the agency consolidated local Processing and Distribution Centers across North Georgia to the Postal Service's new Regional Processing & Distribution Center in Palmetto, Georgia.
“The recent transition and consolidation of North Georgia’s more localized PDCs into the one regional Atlanta GA RPDC and USPS’ poor planning for this transition has extensively disrupted mail delivery operations in the region causing my constituents immense trouble and grief in their everyday lives," Clyde said in the letter.
Clyde also cited an increase in communications his office has received related to the mail delays.
“Since the transition and consolidation of processing and distribution activities from local PDCs across North Georgia into the Palmetto facility on February 24, 2024, my office has received a nearly 90% increase in email and phone call messages from residents of North Georgia about USPS mail and package delays happening in the region.”
Additionally, Clyde said the mail delays have led to loss of revenue and otherwise for North Georgia residents.
“The current mail delivery situation throughout North Georgia is completely unacceptable, and it is clear that USPS must immediately divert resources to the region to prevent the ongoing suffering of my constituents. Furthermore, it is clear that USPS’ poor planning for the transition and consolidation of operations into the Palmetto facility is to blame for the extensive mail delays seen across the North Georgia region. As a member of the House Committee on Appropriations, which provides extensive federal funds to the Postal Service Fund each fiscal year, I am demanding accountability and answers for the residents of North Georgia who continue to suffer every day due to USPS’ incompetent transition and consolidation plan for the Palmetto facility.”
Finally, Clyde made his request for an investigation to Hull.
“Therefore, I request the USPS Office of Inspector General to thoroughly audit and investigate the disastrous situation currently unfolding in North Georgia previously described. I request that you please provide a preliminary response to my office within 30 days of receipt of this letter. Furthermore, I request that you please provide an update on your audit and investigation every three months thereafter of any progress, findings, or preliminary conclusions. Finally, no later than one year after receipt of this letter, I request that you publicly publish a final report detailing the findings and conclusions of your audit and investigation, and furthermore, that you please present your findings and conclusions in a briefing to the House Committee on Oversight and Reform and the House Committee on Appropriations.”
The full letter can be viewed here.
