New postal service plan includes higher prices and slower service

Mail could soon be slower and more expensive.

According to the Washington Post, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy is set to put all first-class mail onto one delivery track in addition to higher prices.

DeJoy is looking to eliminate a tier of first-class mail which includes letters, bills and other envelope-sized correspondence sent to a local address, that is scheduled for delivery in two days. All first-class mail would be put into the typical three- to five-day window which would mean slower service.

Significantly higher postage rates are also expected which could lead to a 9 percent jump that would be compounded each year.

With the USPS posting continued losses, a meeting has been scheduled to tackle the issue.

On Thursday, Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney and Rep. James Comer, the Chairwoman and Ranking Member of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, invited DeJoy, Board of Governors Chairman Ron Bloom, Postal Service Inspector General Tammy L. Whitcomb, American Postal Workers Union President Mark Dimondstein, and Quad/Graphics Chairman Joel Quadracci to a hearing on legislative reforms for the Postal Service.

“The hearing will examine legislative proposals to place the Postal Service on a more sustainable financial footing going forward while preserving the delivery performance standards on which the American people rely,” Chairwoman Maloney and Ranking Member Comer wrote.

The hearing is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Wednesday, February 24, 2021