SPRINGFIELD - On Friday, Feb. 21, 2025, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) released the below statement following reports of President Trump’s plans to disband the United States Postal Service (USPS) Board of Governors and place the agency under direct control of the Commerce Department and Secretary Howard Lutnick.
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“For decades, the United States Postal Service has stood as a trusted, non-partisan public good, offering affordable rates so that Americans across the country—particularly in rural areas—can receive everything from paychecks and medicine to cards from loved ones. Now, President Trump is indicating plans to dismantle this vital institution in pursuit of profit. Any effort to diminish service or undermine our dedicated postal workers is unacceptable. I will work with my colleagues to safeguard the integrity of the USPS while exploring solutions to enhance its service, rather than destroy it.”
Improving mail delivery for Illinois’ 13th district, while making the case against privatization efforts, has been a cornerstone of Budzinski’s work in Congress.
In March 2024, Budzinski and Congresswoman Mary Miller (IL-15) sent a letter to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy raising serious concerns about the plan to downsize the Champaign, Illinois Processing and Distribution Center. In April 2024, Budzinski introduced the Protect Postal Performance Act to bar the USPS from facility downsizing in regions that aren’t meeting the USPS delivery targets of 90.3% on-time delivery for three to five-day First-Class mail and 93% on-time delivery for two-day First-Class mail. Downstate Illinois currently experiences on-time mail delivery far below these benchmarks.
In September, Budzinski and Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) led 18 Members of Congress in a bipartisan letter calling for Postmaster General DeJoy to reconsider proposed changes to service standards that would exacerbate delays in mail delivery for residents in rural and underserved communities. In December 2024, Budzinski questioned DeJoy during a hearing with the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability and demanded answers on how his proposed plans would impact service.
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