Tester, Daines express concern over proposed USPS Missoula facility move to Spokane
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News from the offices of Senator Tester and Senator Daines
U.S. SENATE — As a part of his continued efforts to improve mail delivery in Montana, U.S. Senator Jon Tester recently urged Postmaster General Louis DeJoy to halt the United States Postal Service’s Mail Processing Facility Review that could result in the relocation of Missoula’s Processing and Distribution Center (P&DC) to Spokane, Washington.
“The Missoula P&DC is a critical part of postal operations in Montana,” wrote Tester in a letter to Postmaster General DeJoy. “The center employs over a hundred Montanans and has served the community for decades. If processing were to be moved out of state, mail would get sent from Missoula more than 200 miles over two mountain passes to Spokane to be sorted before any of it is sent back to be delivered.”
In his letter, Tester cited the precarious drive over Lookout Pass on the border of Montana and Idaho, which is often closed to bad weather as a concern for potential future delivery delays.
Tester continued: “I fail to see how this transfer would result in improved postal service for Montanans. Our state’s small businesses rely on the mail system to send products to their customers and many folks rely on timely USPS service to send checks and mortgage payments to the bank. Mail delivery also effects our seniors in rural areas who rely on the postal service to deliver their life-saving medications and veterans who depend on the postal service to deliver their prescriptions and hard-earned federal benefits.”
“I urge you to halt any proposal to move Missoula operations to Spokane and refocus efforts on improving delivery standards in rural America,” concluded Tester.
Senator Steve Daines also urges the USPS to continue service in Missoula. Senator Daines recently sent a letter to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy urging the United States Postal Service (USPS) to maintain current operations in Missoula to protect jobs and improve mail service in the community.
“I write to express my concerns regarding the United State Postal Service’s (USPS) current Mail Processing Facility Review (MPFR) of the Missoula Processing & Distribution Center (P&DC). I have serious concerns about potential out of state mail routing as well as any possibility of job losses in Missoula. While I appreciate the efforts of the USPS to modernize and improve services, I urge you to maintain existing operations at the Missoula P&DC as part of any future plans,” Daines wrote.
