August 17, 2020

Manchin Visits South Charleston U.S. Postal Service Distribution Center

Charleston, WV – Today, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) visited and toured the South Charleston U.S. Postal Service (USPS) Distribution Center to show his gratitude to the postal workers for getting mail to West Virginians and his appreciation for the U.S. Postal Service. To view photos, please click here.

“Last week I visited four Postal Service locations across West Virginia and today I visited the South Charleston USPS Distribution Center to see firsthand how these unacceptable changes are affecting West Virginians during this pandemic and election cycle. During my visit I saw three mail sorting machines that were out of service at the South Charleston USPS Distribution Center. This is unacceptable, especially in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic and a presidential election where we’ll see more mail-in ballots than ever before,” Senator Manchin said. “We have seen efforts by this Administration and the new Postmaster General to dismantle the U.S. Postal Service and we need immediate action to protect this vital public service. I have already filed the POST Act to prevent post office closures during the COVID-19 pandemic. This week, I am filing another bill to prevent any more major, fundamental changes to the Postal Service during this pandemic. It would be insane to stop treating election mail as first class mail, remove sorting machines or reduce hours and close locations right now. Now is not the time to play politics with our mail. People need their medicine. People need their Social Security benefits. And yes – people need their ballots to vote. I am so proud of our post offices and our postal workers and as long as the current Administration is working against them, I won’t stop fighting to protect our rural post offices in West Virginia and across America.”

Timeline of Senator Manchin’s efforts to protect the Postal Service:

  • August 14, 2020 – Senator Manchin visited and toured four U.S. Postal Service locations in West Virginia to show his appreciation for the postal workers and the Postal Service.
  • August 14, 2020 – Senator Manchin condemned operational changes being implemented in post offices and processing centers. These actions are currently causing mail delays in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020 Census, and election cycle.
  • August 12, 2020 – Senator Manchin expressed significant concern to U.S. Postmaster General DeJoy that the USPS is implementing changes that could increase delivery time and costs of election mail and urged him to not take any further action that makes it harder and more expensive for states and election jurisdictions to mail ballots.
  • August 4, 2020 – Senator Manchin introduced the Protect Our Services Today (POST) Act to save post offices from closure during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • July 31, 2020 – Senator Manchin received assurances from the USPS that the post office closings throughout West Virginia were a misunderstanding and there would be no post office closings at the time.
  • July 28, 2020 – Senator Manchin requested clarification from U.S. Postmaster General DeJoy on reported post office closures across West Virginia.
  • July 8, 2020 – Senator Manchin led a resolution pressing for more funding in future COVID-19 relief packages to offset costs incurred by the USPS due to the pandemic.
  • October 26, 2018 – Senator Manchin co-sponsored a resolution opposing the privatization of USPS.
  • April 5, 2013 – Senator Manchin co-sponsored the Postal Service Protection Act, which addressed USPS financial issues, prevented post office closures, protected Saturday delivery services, and saved American jobs, including protecting the Clarksburg mail processing plant from closure.
  • May 9, 2012 – Senator Manchin announced that 3,700 rural post offices would remain open.
  • May 7, 2012 – Senator Manchin led a bipartisan letter to extend the moratorium on post office closures until postal service reform bill was passed into law.
  • April 25, 2012 – Senator Manchin voted against postal reform bill in the Senate, which would have done little to address financial issues at USPS and would have disproportionately hurt West Virginia’s citizens, businesses, postal workers, and retirees.
  • April 25, 2012 – Senator Manchin introduced an amendment that would have ensured that all postal facilities targeted for closure would remain open for at least two years while USPS worked to improve its finances. Senator Manchin’s provision would have also saved 35,000 jobs at mail processing facilities around the country.
  • December 13, 2011 – Following calls by Senator Manchin to delay any moves impacting USPS, the Postmaster General agreed to grant a five-month delay to rural post office closings and mail center consolidations in West Virginia and elsewhere.
  • August 8, 2011 – Senator Manchin led the West Virginia Congressional Delegation in warning against the consolidation of postal facilities.
  • July 26, 2011 – Senator Manchin condemned the potential closures of 3,700 postal facilities, including 150 in West Virginia.