On Wednesday, November 16, 2022, at 2:00 p.m. ET, Rep. Gerald E. Connolly, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Government Operations, will hold a hybrid hearing to examine the United States Postal Service’s performance during past holiday seasons, preparations for the upcoming holiday season, and how changes to the Postal Service will affect its ability to deliver efficiently during future holiday seasons.
During the past four years, peak season from November through mid-January has coincided with lower on-time delivery rates for both first-class mail and packages. Slower delivery affects holiday gifts and cards as well as medicine, unemployment benefits, and Social Security checks that are delivered by mail during the holiday season.
The Postal Service has prepared for this year’s peak season by converting 100,000 part-time employees to full-time employees, hiring 28,000 additional seasonal employees, leasing additional facilities, and other measures. The Postal Service projects these efforts will increase its maximum processing capacity to almost 60 million packages a day, compared to 53 million last year.
Building on the Subcommittee’s previous hearings in Chicago, Baltimore, and Philadelphia, this hearing will examine whether the Postal Service is able to meet its staffing and delivery needs during the peak season.
WITNESSES
Tammy L. Whitcomb
Inspector General United States Postal Service
Greg White
Executive Manager of Strategic Initiatives
United States Postal Service
Edmund A. Carley
National President
United Postmasters and Managers of America
Paul V. Hogrogian
National President
National Postal Mail Handlers Union
Michael Plunkett
President and CEO
Association for Postal Commerce
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