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Members press OIG on deferred maintenance and prolonged 'temporary' post office closures
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Summary
Members raised multiple constituent cases of post office closures and deferred maintenance; the OIG said it is preparing a broad deferred‑maintenance report and that temporary closures and long repair backlogs are recurring problems.
Several members told the subcommittee that post office facilities in their districts are unsafe, closed for extended periods or suffering from deferred maintenance that affects operations and customer access.
Tammy Hull, inspector general for the United States Postal Service, said the OIG has seen "lots and lots of issues with deferred maintenance" during local plant visits and that her office is conducting a broader review of deferred maintenance across the Postal Service, with an expected report in a few months. "These things should have been reported and should have been fixed," Hull said, noting ceilings, plumbing and parking lot safety problems in some field visits.
Members described cases such as a Sound Beach post office that was closed for structural repairs in May 2023 and remained closed, forcing nearly 9,000 residents to travel to a neighboring town for postal services. Lawmakers asked how the Postal Service defines "temporary" closure and urged the OIG to review the process and timeliness for repairs.
Ending: Hull said the OIG would review past work on post office suspensions, coordinate with member staff and consider whether new audits are warranted; she offered to provide district‑level information and to follow up with members who raised specific facility problems.
