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D.C. – U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp applauded the U.S. Postal Service’s announcement that it would continue six-day mail delivery. Heitkamp, who serves on the committee that oversees USPS, has repeatedly pressed the agency to stop its plans to implement policies that could hurt mail service in rural America.

Heitkamp said, “The U.S. Postal Service made the right decision to indefinitely delay a five-day delivery schedule for mail. I did not believe the Postal Service had the authority to make this decision on its own, and I am pleased the Board of Governors agreed with that interpretation. I remain committed to working with my colleagues and Postal Service leaders to pass comprehensive postal reform legislation that allows the Postal Service to return to profitability and protects rural America. Having a quality postal service is of critical importance to North Dakota, and I will continue to fight to ensure that Congress makes good decisions about how to approach this issue.”

In March, Heitkamp met with Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe to discuss the United States Postal Service’s proposed mail delivery changes. Heitkamp is concerned the proposal to eliminate Saturday mail delivery could disproportionately hurt rural North Dakota communities.

In February, Heitkamp and 23 other Senators questioned Donahoe’s plan to stop Saturday mail delivery. Heitkamp and her colleagues wrote that “a piecemeal strategy that focuses on cutting services and forgoes a critical competitive advantage is not the solution. Instead, we need a comprehensive postal reform bill that allows the Postal Service to modernize while protecting its crucial obligations and services.”