USPS on 'death spiral' without reform -chief

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy: "Too many Americans were left waiting weeks for important deliveries of mail and packages."

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy apologized on Wednesday before the House Oversight Committee for the persistent delays in the U.S. Postal Service’s mail delivery – especially during the peak holiday season.

"This is unacceptable, and I apologize to those customers who felt the impact of our delays."

DeJoy and other officials urged lawmakers and President Joe Biden to consider significant reforms to tackle the U.S. Postal Service's precarious finances saying "I would suggest that we are in a death spiral.”

DeJoy promised a plan was coming soon.

“To confront these urgent issues, our team has been working on a ten-year strategy that will reinforce the Postal Service’s obvious strengths and address our obvious weaknesses."

DeJoy, a supporter of former President Donald Trump and appointed to head the Postal Service last year, suspended operational changes in August after heavy criticism over postal delays.

Delays in paychecks and other mail deliveries by the Postal Service, or USPS, gained attention last year as a record number of voters mailed in ballots to elect a new president.

New Postal Board chairman Ron Bloom said that the USPS is currently projected to lose $160 billion over the next decade and told lawmakers "we can’t just throw money at the problem. We must address the systemic issues plaguing its outdated model."

Some Democrats want Biden to fire the current postal board.

There are currently three vacancies on the board, which the White House has promised to soon fill.