PA Attorney General Joins Fight Against Postal Service Changes

HARRISBURG, PA — Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro, 20 other attorneys general and two cities are opposing Postmaster General Louis DeJoy's proposed changes to U.S. Postal Service operations. The group contends the new operating procedures would slow delivery of 40 percent of all first-class mail.

Shapiro and the rest of the coalition is calling on the Postal Regulatory Commission, an independent federal body that provides oversight of postal service operations, to oppose DeJoy's recommendations.

Appointed by former President Donald Trump, DeJoy in March detailed plans to raise prices and reduce services at the postal services to address a revenue shortfall, The Washington Post reported.

DeJoy unveiled one proposal that would slow delivery of first-class mail. Instead of the current two to three days, non-local mail could take as many as five days to arrive at its destination.

Shapiro asserted that particular change would hinder the Pennsylvania and federal government in delivering essential services in a timely matter. He contended it would negatively impact providing public assistance to low-income individuals and families, running driver's licensing and child welfare programs and administering elections.

Opponents of the latest proposal noted that postal service changes DeJoy implemented last year had a devastating effect on mail service and were found to have been unlawfully implemented by four federal judges. The judges found the new policies, which included significant revisions to postal service policies regarding extra and late trips, were implemented during the pandemic and without regulatory commission input.

"The service cuts issued last year were reckless, went against the very purpose of the postal service and, because they skipped the experts who get to review changes — illegal," Shapiro said in a news release. "My office filed suit, and successfully blocked DeJoy’s efforts. We took action then, and will continue to act to keep these essential services running on time.”

Submitting a position statement to the regulatory commission along with Shapiro and New York Attorney General Letitia James were the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Vermont and Virginia.

The attorneys general were also joined by the cities of New York and San Francisco.