On Thursday, February 8, 2024, Congressman Al Green’s and Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia’s senior staff members toured the United States Postal Service (USPS) North Houston and South Houston (Missouri City) Mail Processing Centers in response to prior and ongoing complaints from constituents regarding delayed and failed mail delivery. The USPS officials that conducted the tour provided responsive updates on the chronic delays and the material steps they are taking to resolve the past and current problems. Nevertheless, Congressman Green and Congresswoman Garcia remain committed to holding USPS accountable for the lasting resolution of outstanding problems.

Previously, on Wednesday, January 31, 2024, Congressman Al Green and Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia met with the USPS Inspector General. Among other issues, the meeting addressed the mail delivery delays at the Houston Processing Centers. A focus was on improving transparency within the United States Postal Service.

In December 2022, the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) assessed the management of routes where mail was partially delivered or not delivered at all, including the Ashford West and Westbury stations in Houston. The report concluded that USPS had tools available to address delivery failures and recommended enhancing these systems, including utilizing data on service interruptions to notify customers quickly. Subsequently, the OIG released a report in September 2023 on an audit of the launch of new Sorting and Delivery Centers that was part of the USPS 10-Year improvement plan: “Delivering for America.” The report concluded that facility readiness, post office box availability, sorting programs, and communication with other shippers and mailers were still in need of

improvement. At the meeting, the OIG also expressed concerns about USPS customer service call handling and shared resources available to consumers at uspsoig.gov. The OIG also highlighted efforts that are underway to enhance the overall customer experience through USPS customer care centers.

“After weeks of working with Representative Al Green to demand action. The Office of the Inspector General has responded and has been in Houston investigating this matter and will provide a full report of their findings with recommendations,” said Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia. “USPS must be held accountable and provide transparency to ensure that our mail, medicines, money, merchandise, and other essentials are delivered in an efficient, timely, and seamless operation to our constituents.”

Congressman Al Green stated, “I appreciate the engagement Congresswoman Garcia and I have received from USPS. I am especially grateful for their statement that cooperation with the media and communication with customers are important in the pursuit of a more efficient and transparent postal service. Implementing recommendations such as those shared by the OIG would enhance USPS’ operations and improve the overall experience for our constituents. In particular, upon the OIG recommendations, the USPS facilities in Houston should have improved upon their transparency with customers and the news media and should prioritize transparency as a necessity going forward. There is still more work to be done to achieve the necessary transparency that the public, the media, and Congress deserve. A congressional hearing may be necessary.”