Congress Blocks End to Saturday Mail Delivery Service

Lemon Grovers bummed about the planned end to Saturday mail delivery service this summer will get more time to ponder the possibility.

Last week, the U.S. Postal Service's Board of Governors announced that because Congress recently blocked the implementation a new national mail delivery schedule, the federal agency could not move forward with plans to alter service.

The schedule, which would have gone into effect the week of Aug. 5, called for mail delivery to be cut to Monday through Friday.  Package delivery was to be Monday through Saturday under the proposed plan.

“Although disappointed with this Congressional action, the Board will follow the law and has directed the Postal Service to delay implementation of its new delivery schedule until legislation is passed that provides the Postal Service with the authority to implement a financially appropriate and responsible delivery schedule,” the Postal Service’s Board of Governors said in a news release. “The Board believes that Congress has left it with no choice but to delay this implementation at this time.”

Democratic Congresswoman Susan Davis, whose district includes Lemon Grove, said in February that she did not support the idea of ending Saturday mail delivery.

“While the USPS is certainly facing a critical financial situation, eliminating delivery on Saturday is not going to provide the savings necessary to right the ship," Davis said in a statement.

“This decision will only have a detrimental impact on postal customers and small businesses, many of whom have contacted my office.  The postal service is an American institution people depend on and we need to give it the tools it needs to be robust rather than cutting it off at the knees.”

Most Americans support the change based on numerous polls, according to the postal service’s board.

So does the board, officials said, adding that the new national delivery schedule would generate around $2 billion in cost savings annually. 

“To restore the Postal Service to long-term financial stability, the Postal Service requires the flexibility to reduce costs and generate new revenues to close an ever widening budgetary gap,” board officials wrote in a statement. “It is not possible for the Postal Service to meet significant cost reduction goals without changing its delivery schedule – any rational analysis of our current financial condition and business options leads to this conclusion.”

In response to Congress’ delay, board officials have directed management to push to reopen negotiations with postal unions and meet with management associations to cut workforce and administrative costs.

The board also asked management to look at other ways to raise revenue, including possible rate hikes for Postal Service products.

Should Congress move forward with cutting Saturday mail delivery? Tell us what you think in comments.