Vermont Congressional Delegation Calls on USPS to Address Persistent Shortfalls in Serving Vermonters

Read and download the Delegation's full letter to USPS Postmaster General Steiner.

BURLINGTON, VT - The Vermont Congressional Delegation, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and U.S. Representative Becca Balint (VT-AL), urged the Postmaster General of the United States Postal Service (USPS) to address massive shortfalls in serving Vermonters, who have for years experienced postal delivery delays and egregious service issues. In their letter to USPS Postmaster General David Steiner, who was appointed in 2025, the Delegation outlined how many Vermonters have dealt with reduced deliveries and deteriorating service for several years, following adoption of the Trump Administration's flawed Delivering for America Plan.

The Delegation emphasized that the significant Postal Service issues facing Vermonters stem from decisions made by USPS leadership: "As you know, the Postal Service's Delivering for America ten-year plan was launched in 2021, supposedly to modernize and support the financial self-sustainability of the postal network. Five years into this plan, mail delivery service in Vermont is at an all-time low, staffing shortages in the state are pervasive, and USPS has not improved its financial outlook."

"In the first half of 2026 alone, our offices have received over 2,000 constituent complaints about the USPS mail service. Many of our constituents currently receive just one or two mail deliveries per week. Some residential areas have received zero mail deliveries over consecutive weeks. Vermonters living in South Burlington and the greater Chittenden County region have experienced particularly egregious service issues," the Delegation continued. "These service failures have a significant impact on Vermonters: tax documents and bills are received after they are due, holiday cards come after the holiday season, and most critically, residents are forced to go without medical care when their prescriptions are not received on time.

The Delegation also underscored that inconsistent mail delivery is impeding state government services in Vermont: "The Vermont Agency of Administration has reported two separate instances over the last year when entire batches of vehicle titles were mailed out from the state Postal Center, received by USPS, and subsequently lost in transit. These incidents not only create unnecessary administrative burdens for the state, they also present real security threats to customers' most sensitive personal information. Given these repeated detrimental impacts on government services, we are greatly concerned about USPS' ability to deliver election ballots timely, which are automatically mailed by the state to all registered voters in Vermont, before they are mailed back to town and city clerks' offices in time to be counted for elections."

"Insufficient staff and monthslong delays in hiring and onboarding staff, mean that Vermont postal workers are working 12 hour days, seven days a week to ensure Vermonters receive their mail. USPS' centralization of hiring processes and decision-making, has taken away hiring authority from Vermont postmasters, contributing to the problem," the Delegation continued. "We deeply appreciate the hard work of Vermont's postal employees, who, despite limited resources, continue to serve with dedication. We appreciate that USPS' Northern New England (NNE) District is focused on improving recruitment and retention, including by increasing the number of career fairs and hiring events across the state, but these measures alone cannot remedy the chronic operational deficiencies at USPS."

The Vermont Delegation requested answers to the following questions by September 1, 2026:

1. USPS' stated mission is "to provide the nation with reliable, affordable, universal mail service" six days per week. What percentage of households in Vermont are currently receiving six days of mail delivery per week?

1. How many open mail carrier roles across Vermont remain vacant and what is the average length of vacancy?

1. Will USPS meet its hiring goals in Vermont this year?

1. What is the average length of time for hired personnel to complete onboarding and begin work? Please provide data for Vermont and nationally.

1. What steps has USPS taken to shorten and streamline the hiring and onboarding processes? Are additional authorities or direction from Congress required to further improve efficient staff onboarding?

1. What is the average length of tenure for postal employees across Vermont?

1. In January 2026, USPS' NNE District Office confirmed to the Vermont Congressional Delegation that Vermont lags behind its regional neighbors in new employee recruitment numbers. What resources or strategies have you committed directly to the NNE District to boost statewide hiring efforts?

1. Due to insufficient staffing and delivery route coverage, Vermont requires the expeditious approval of Contract Delivery Service (CDS) to ensure that mail arrives timely. What steps are you taking to ensure that, while long-term hiring efforts are underway, routes are approved for contract service to ensure adequate coverage?

1. What are the average on-time delivery rates for last-mile delivery for 2024 and 2025?

1. What are the average on-time delivery rates for standard mail delivery services for 2024 and 2025?

1. What steps has the Postal Service taken to ensure that all ballots are timely delivered to eligible voters?

1. What specific elements of the ten-year plan have you identified that need to be altered or abandoned to ensure USPS can fulfill its mission?

1. As part of your fleet modernization plan, how many new delivery vehicles will Vermont receive to facilitate mail delivery?

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