Womack, Congress members oppose USPS’ changes impacting Fayetteville’s processing center

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — Rep. Steve Womack (R-AR) along with nearly two dozen members of Congress sent a letter to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy opposing the United States Postal Service’s plan to consolidate facilities throughout the country.

One of those facilities was the Northwest Arkansas Processing and Distribution Facility, which will transition to a “local processing center” as part of USPS’s Delivering for America Plan. USPS said in March the distribution capabilities will be moved to Oklahoma City.

USPS said the plan will help “modernize” its system to reach a 95% on-time delivery goal.

“There will be no service impacts with the implementation of these changes,” USPS said in a news release in March. “Mail will be processed in Oklahoma City on the day it is collected and returned to Northwest Arkansas in sufficient time for on-time delivery.”

In the letter, Congress members say they are skeptical of the plan and think the opposite will be done.

USPS: Fayetteville facility to remain open, no longer serve as distribution facility

“We hear frequently from our constituents about deteriorating mail delivery,” the letter said. “Customers rely on the Postal Service for a variety of important services, including their medication, newspapers, and financial documents. Sending mail farther for sorting is unlikely to improve service.”

A Virginia facility is undergoing a similar transition as Fayetteville.

The USPS Office of Inspector General reviewed the center’s performance since the transition and said the changes “contributed to a decrease in service performance for the Richmond region that continued four months after launch,” according to the letter.

The members of Congress said the review should have stopped the Postal Service’s plan and caused a review.

“These consolidation proposals never have had any discernible support from local communities. On the contrary, we have heard strong opposition to these efforts from USPS customers, community leaders, local businesses, and postal employees,” the letter said. “Rather than marching forward with these plans and offering short and vague statements dismissing concerns, the Postal Service should be communicating why the organization believes these changes are beneficial and what the specific impact of the changes will be to mail service.”

Congress members in the letter are asking DeJoy to reconsider consolidating facilities.

Other senators and representatives that signed the letter are Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), Sen. Jeffrey Merkley (D-OR), Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-WV), Rep. Jack Bergman (R-MI), Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), Rep. Mark Alford (R-MO), Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II (D-MO), Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Rep. Mike Ezell (R-MS), Rep. Eric Sorensen (D-IL), Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-GA), Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Sen. Angus King Jr. (D-ME), Rep. Nikki Budzinski (D-IL), Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Rep. Chris Pappas (D-NH), Sen. Peter Welch (D-VT), Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME) and Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE).

Click here to see the full letter to DeJoy.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KNWA FOX24.