WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet and Congressman Joe Neguse wrote a letter to Acting Postmaster General Doug Tulino urging him to ensure on-time and reliable mail delivery in rural and mountain communities along the Western Slope, upon reports the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) entered into an agreement with the Department of Government Efficiency (“DOGE”).
In their letter, the Colorado lawmakers highlighted how the implementation of DOGE’s “wrecking ball”approach to cutting government could erode the USPS universal service mission to provide the nation and Colorado communities with reliable, affordable, universal mail service. They also called to attention the continuous impacts of staffing shortages, pushing back on further cuts to the workforce.
“Coloradans need reliable mail service to vote in elections, conduct business, pay their bills, receive medications, and stay in touch with loved ones,” wrote the lawmakers. “While we appreciate the need for USPS to continue to improve efficiency and address the many challenges facing the agency, it cannot come at the expense of Colorado’s rural small businesses, seniors, and families.”
Full text of the letter is available HERE and below:
Dear Acting Postmaster General Tulino:
We write to request that you maintain your agency’s commitment to reliable and consistent mail service for rural and mountain communities in Colorado, as directed by the agency’s universal service mandate. Following your agency’s announcement that the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) entered into an agreement with the General Service Administration and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), we urge you to consider how any proposed changes could exacerbate mail delivery issues in Colorado’s Western Slope communities prior to any agreement to undertake such actions.
As you are well aware, many rural and mountain communities on Colorado’s Western Slope have consistently faced challenges receiving on-time and reliable mail delivery despite the efforts of hardworking front-line USPS employees. We are concerned that these problems will only be exacerbated by the recently-announced partnership with DOGE, which so far has demonstrated a haphazard and irresponsible approach to change other federal agencies in the name of efficiency. DOGE’s efforts across numerous federal agencies across the nation have only led to increased chaos, uncertainty, and inefficiencies. While we understand your interest to proactively engage with DOGE to address inefficiencies within USPS, we have considerable concerns that there will, instead, be further mail delivery disruptions for our constituents.
We are also deeply concerned by President Trump and DOGE’s suggestion to privatize USPS or move it under the Department of Commerce. Privatizing the agency or reducing its independence is contrary to its universal service mission. Staffing shortages, space limitations, and lack of home delivery service have already made USPS mail delivery difficult and unreliable for communities across the Western Slope. Any further staffing cuts in particular would be untenable on Colorado’s Western Slope where staff levels are already so low that Post Offices face unexpected closures and delayed mail. Therefore, we urgently request that you do not take any actions under any agreement with DOGE that would further reduce the reliability of mail delivery for rural and mountain communities on Colorado’s Western Slope.
Coloradans need reliable mail service to vote in elections, conduct business, pay their bills, receive medications, and stay in touch with loved ones. While we appreciate the need for USPS to continue to improve efficiency and address the many challenges facing the agency, it cannot come at the expense of Colorado’s rural small businesses, seniors, and families.
We urge you to ensure that any changes within USPS would not result in slower mail delivery for our Western Slope communities and erode the agency’s universal service mission, and we request advance notification and briefing of any proposed changes.
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