Rep Bruce Westerman (AR-04)

The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) is vital, especially in many of the rural communities I represent. Hardworking families, seniors, small businesses, local municipalities, and others rely on the USPS in their daily lives for medication, bills, products, and correspondence. 

 Unfortunately, my office has received countless complaints from Arkansans who have been victims of recent failures by the USPS. Prescriptions are arriving late, packages are missing, and bills are being delivered well past their due date. It's entirely unacceptable that someone may not receive their critical medication or face a late fee for a bill because the Postal Service didn't deliver it in a timely manner. 

 Despite numerous meetings I’ve had with USPS officials to address these issues, they have consistently failed to acknowledge or rectify them. Instead, they shift the blame to local mail carriers. It's clear that these widespread, nationwide issues are a result of systemic failures at the top and require comprehensive solutions. 

 If the Postal Service makes a mistake that negatively impacts you, whether it be a late bill or lost prescription delivery, they should have to own up to it. I'm proud to cosponsor the Pony Up Act, bipartisan legislation that would protect Arkansans by putting the USPS on the hook for late delivery of bills. It would require the USPS to reimburse any fees charged for the late payment of bills that were delayed in the mail. 

The bipartisan support for this bill should serve as a wake-up call for the USPS that it's time to refocus and adequately serve the American people.