WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) released the February edition of his Inside Maine podcast, focusing on the critical importance of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) during the coronavirus pandemic. This episode features Senator Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Chair of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC), who joined Senator King to discuss his leadership in congressional efforts to hold Postmaster General Louis DeJoy accountable and strengthen the postal service. In the second segment, Mark Seitz, President of the Maine State Association of Letter Carriers joined Senator King to discuss the impacts of Postmaster DeJoy’s policies on letter carriers throughout Maine.

“The U.S. Postal Service is an essential service that helps facilitate important economic activity, connects our citizens, delivers important lifesaving medications to the American people, and helped us to conduct the November 2020 elections,” said Senator King. “During the pandemic, the USPS has become more vital than ever – but at the same time, misguided policies from the Postmaster General have led to deteriorating service and increased challenges for our postal workforce. I’m proud to stand alongside my colleague, Senator Peters, in the fight to defend the post office and support the workers like Mark Seitz who ensure that the USPS fulfills its duty to the American people.”

“I was thrilled to join Senator King to discuss our efforts to ensure the Postal Service is able to effectively serve Americans for generations to come,” said Senator Peters. “Unfortunately, the Postmaster General’s actions slowed down the mail for millions of Americans who rely on USPS for prescription drugs, financial documents and more – and on-time delivery performance still hasn’t fully recovered. I will continue to work with Senator King and our colleagues to hold Postal Service leadership accountable, support our postal workers, and restore on-time mail delivery for the millions of people who are counting on the Postal Service to deliver each and every day.”

Senator King has been a vocal supporter of the USPS’s critical role in American society, which has only grown in importance during the coronavirus pandemic as people have increasingly relied on the USPS to receive prescriptions and other necessities. Last week, he joined 32 of his colleagues – including Senator Peters – on a letter pressing Postmaster DeJoy for answers on the widespread, troubling mail delays and on what action he is taking to restore on-time mail delivery. The letter follows a September push by Senators King and Peters, highlighting the effects of Postal Service delays on small businesses.  In August, he sent a letter to Senator Peters, then-Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs, highlighting concerns brought to him by Maine constituents about the new USPS policies. Also in August, Senators King and Peters joined a group of Senate colleagues in demanding answers from Postmaster General DeJoy on the disruptive and harmful changes he ordered that have caused serious delays for postal customers across the country. Senator King has also cosponsored a resolution emphasizing the importance of the USPS, advocated for the inclusion of additional funding in the December 2020 spending bill, and successfully pushed the Trump Administration to release a CARES Act-authorized $10 billion loan to the USPS.

The “Inside Maine Podcast with Senator Angus King” is a 30-minute program that aims to help keep Maine people informed about issues of the day, how they affect life in the state, and how they factor into Senator King’s work as one of two independents in the U.S. Senate. Senator King’s podcast builds on his existing radio show that airs on Newsradio WGAN in Portland, Maine between 10 and 11 a.m. on almost every last Saturday of the month. The link to the February podcast can be found HERE.