Urge Congress to Protect Letter Carriers! 

The words “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds" are engraved on the James A. Farley Post Office in New York City and, though it is not the official motto of the United States Postal Service (USPS), it pays tribute to the hardworking individual who keep our mail running. The USPS employs more than 630,000 public servants who deliver to more than 168 million addresses throughout all conditions. While we cannot control the weather, we can work to secure the safety and comfort of our postal workers in other ways. 

From 2019 to 2023, crimes committed against postal employees doubled, with 2023 seeing 542 assaults, 628 robberies, and 197 burglaries in around 500 metro areas, with more than two-thirds involving a weapon. While the USPS has begun some modernization efforts in targeted areas and there has been an increase in prosecutions, the rate of transgressions against letter carriers continues to increase, and enough is enough. To address these threats, Congress has introduced identical legislation in both chambers, the Protect Our Letter Carriers Act, H.R. 1065/ S. 463, to deter these offenses. 

Specifically, the legislation 

• Provides $7 billion in funding over five years to upgrade postal infrastructure typically targeted by criminals, 
• Designates an assistant district attorney in judicial districts to address cases involving postal worker assaults in a timelier manner, and, 
• Sets sentencing guidelines for perpetrators of these crimes against letter carries. 

These measures take steps towards ensuring the workforce of the USPS can go to work, serve the American public, and return home to their loved ones without fear, something everyone deserves. Contact your lawmakers today to urge them to protect letter carriers by cosponsoring and supporting these bills.