Georgia lawmakers are raising the alarm over persistent mail delays affecting the metro Atlanta area, as frustrations grow among residents waiting on everything from ballots to medication. According to FOX 5 Atlanta, a group of congressional representatives, including Georgia Congressman Hank Johnson, has reached out to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy demanding a fix to the ongoing problems. "It's ridiculous. I'm really upset about it," Johnson told the publication, particularly concerned about absentee ballots not reaching constituents in time.
The new USPS Regional Processing and Distribution Center in Palmetto, which was supposed to streamline mail distribution has been at the center of scrutiny with reports of severe backlogs and delays. Trucks with loads of mail have been seen waiting for hours to enter the facility, which opened earlier this year as part of DeJoy's 10-year 'Delivering for America' plan. "It's a problem that has been ongoing, it's widespread, and it's unfortunate," Johnson said in a statement obtained by 11Alive.
Inquiries by other Georgia leaders including Senators Jon Ossoff and Rev. Raphael Warnock, as well as Representatives Mike Collins and Barry Loudermilk, have not yielded much in the way of solutions. An interview request with USPS was declined on Thursday afternoon, but representatives offered to answer questions by email, which, as of Thursday evening, remained unanswered.
On the same note, Georgia's congressional delegation sent two letters to push for action. Democrats, led by Rep. Nikema Williams and joined by Reps. Lucy McBath, David Scott, along with Johnson, penned one, and Rep. Andrew Clyde, a Republican, called for an audit in another. Clyde stated in an 11Alive interview, "It is clear that USPS must immediately divert resources to the region to prevent the ongoing suffering of my constituents." Both letters express bipartisan concern over the substantial impact of the delays on Georgians' lives and livelihoods.
The Office of Inspector General confirmed they have begun investigating the complaints. "In Mid-March we began our fieldwork. Our objective was to assess the operational impacts related to the launch of the Regional Processing and Distribution Center (RPDC) and identify successes, lessons learned, and opportunities," their spokesperson said, as noted by 11Alive. An audit report is expected later in the summer, which may shine light on the causes behind the delays and suggest much-needed improvements before the high-stakes elections in November.
