U.S. Rep. Jared Golden of Maine’s 2nd District will propose legislation to freeze the U.S. Postal Service’s plan to move some mail processing operations from Hampden to southern Maine.
The Postal Service announced the decision Tuesday after a months-long review of the Hampden facility as part of its 10-year plan to reverse projected losses of $60 billion by 2030. As a result, mail will be processed at the Scarborough facility before being delivered to residents across the state and beyond.
Postal workers and congressional leaders, including U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King, have warned for months that consolidation would lead to job losses and poorer service. On Wednesday, Golden called the move “unacceptable to Mainers who rely on fast postal service” to pay their bills and receive their medications.
“This decision already caused significant delivery delays across the state during its trial last year, and will exacerbate existing challenges USPS faces in meeting its obligations to rural Maine communities,” a he declared.
Golden’s bill would eliminate funding for the Postal Service’s review process of mail processing facilities. That would block the agency’s plans to move some operations from Hampden to Scarborough, according to his office.
The legislation would also require the Postal Regulatory Commission to review any future consolidation proposals, according to a draft. The commission is an independent agency whose members are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate.
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