Rep. Schrier Sends Letter to Postmaster General About Urgent Postal Operations Issues in Maple Valley and Cle Elum

WASHINGTON, DC – Today Congresswoman Kim Schrier, M.D. (WA-08) sent a letter to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy about two urgent postal operations issues in the Maple Valley/Covington region and in Cle Elum. Some residents in the Maple Valley/Covington region haven’t had mail delivery in several weeks. And the post office in Cle Elum was forced to move to a trailer earlier this year after a sewer line broke and asbestos was found in the building.

In the letter, Rep. Schrier urges Postmaster General DeJoy to take action to prevent mail delivery disruptions and to get the post office in Cle Elum moved to a safe, indoor location as soon as possible.

The letter reads as follows:

Dear Postmaster DeJoy and Director Simpson,

I am writing to highlight two urgent issues facing postal operations in my district. The first is the ongoing challenges with mail delivery in the Covington/Maple Valley area, located southeast of Seattle. My constituents rely on dependable mail delivery for their medications, paychecks, and other vital services. This particular area contains a mix of suburban, rural and exurban neighborhoods, where regular mail service is particularly vital. For this community, it is essential that their post office meets the highest service standards.

Starting November 29th, my office began to hear from constituents whose subdivision in Maple Valley had not received mail that week. My District staff promptly reached out to local USPS representatives and followed up several times in late November and early December receiving insufficient or no responses. Since this lapse in service was first brought to my attention, it has even garnered local media attention. Twenty-three days later, my constituents are still missing checks, medication, and holiday presents.

Unfortunately, this issue appears to be a pattern for the postal district. Nearly a year ago, my constituents experienced very similar mail delivery issues impacting residents in the Sumner and Covington region. The Postal Service is one of the most critical institutions in these communities and I’m hoping we can work together to fix these issues. I would like to know how you and your team are working to prevent these gaps in service from occurring and how the Postal Service will improve their communication with residents and Congressional staff regarding delivery challenges. I appreciate that your staff have plans to hold hiring fairs next year, but that doesn’t solve the immediate problem of getting very delayed mail to my constituents at one of the most important times of year for the Postal Service.

The second issue of concern is the recent forced move of the post office in Cle Elum, located in a rural area east of the Cascade mountains. In mid-September, the post office in Cle Elum was forced to move to a trailer due to a sewer line break and the presence of asbestos. The post office has been located there ever since, and now, despite freezing conditions, the postal operations have remained relatively normal. While my staff has been informed of plans to relocate, no formal action has been taken. I strongly urge the Postal Service to expedite the process of relocating the post office to an indoor location. Employees have been working diligently in frigid conditions as repair plans have dragged on for months, and these hardworking public servants deserve better.

I appreciate your expedient attention to these matters. My office stands ready to assist however we can to ensure mail delivery is not interrupted in Maple Valley and that employees are working in safe and humane conditions in Cle Elum.

Sincerely,

Kim Schrier, M.D.
Member of Congress