ATLANTA — Tuesday marks two weeks since senators grilled Postmaster General Louis DeJoy on Capitol Hill during a special oversight hearing focused on USPS and mail delays in states like Georgia.
The testimony that day exposed lawmakers’ frustration, with many senators questioning DeJoy over a lack of transparency and response to various congressional inquiries.
Congressman Mike Collins of Georgia was among those who suggested DeJoy should resign following the hearing. Now, he tells 11Alive he’s spoken directly with the postmaster general in a one-on-one call after months of trying to pin down responses to mail delays and other related issues.
“I wish we could have gotten together a whole lot sooner than what we have,” Collins told 11Alive. “It was a good, productive meeting, overall, and we actually didn't end there with the phone call.”
Collins has been pushing for answers regarding mail issues in Georgia since December, prior to the problems worsening with the new regional processing and distribution center. But this week, he shared a change in tone when speaking with 11Alive about the call with DeJoy. The conversation, he said, launched a new line of communication regarding the Palmetto facility issues.
“I told General DeJoy that, you know, I think the biggest problem that I saw from a customer standpoint and from my standpoint with constituents calling us was just a big lack of transparency,” Collins shared, adding that the two also discussed logistics, including staffing and trucking contracts, that exacerbated issues with the facility’s launch.
“This is a lot more complex than the other two or three conversions that were made,” Collins continued, referencing changes made in other markets. “Apparently, all of the Houston and Richmond were totally different from what is going on in Atlanta. But you know, a lot of what you're dealing with, in a nutshell, is a very mature industry, and it's kind of like a corporation that's been around for a long time and has not changed a whole lot. And we've got to get that scaled up to today's technology.”
11Alive previously learned the Palmetto RP&DC is a brand new facility, part of the initial rollout of the 10-year ‘Delivering for America’ plan spearheaded by DeJoy. The Richmond RP&DC, a converted facility, was the first of its kind to launch in July of next year; an audit recently showed problems continued four months following the Richmond facility rollout.
Georgia, meanwhile, continues to experience delivery times far short of operations prior to the opening of the Palmetto facility. But Collins said his meeting with the Postmaster General “was very direct but productive.”
“I am confident he understands my position in ensuring that the mass mail disruptions across Georgia need to be resolved swiftly,” he told 11Alive.
The congressman said the two remain in touch, and his request that the Georgia delegation see the Palmetto facility in person is now in the works.
“I’m feeling confident that what he told me, that he has a handle on the situation,” Collins shared. “I still want to see it for myself.”
11Alive continues to contact the postal service and previously asked to tour the facility as well. So far, that request has been denied, and USPS continues to send the same statement sent weeks ago, maintaining that operations are improving.
Senator Jon Ossoff, who questioned DeJoy during the hearing two weeks ago, continues to tell 11Alive he’s deeply dissatisfied with the postal service's performance.
“Postal workers are out there working their hearts out every day, but if they don't have the leadership and infrastructure necessary to deliver the mail on time, we see the consequences,” Sen. Ossoff said. I have followed up in writing with the Postmaster General, and I am anticipating that we will receive some updated data that will reveal whether they've made the necessary improvements."