Today, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) led members of the Missouri Congressional delegation—including Senator Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), Ann Wagner (Mo.), Robert Onder (Mo.), Jason Smith (Mo.), Sam Graves (Mo.), and Eric Burlison (Mo.) — in sending a letter to USPS Inspector General Tammy Hull requesting an audit of the St. Louis region mail network. This letter follows up on a request the Senator made for an audit of the region nearly a year ago, but the USPS Office of Inspector General chose not to focus on the St. Louis region and instead sent workers to the Kansas City region.
“Reliable mail service is essential, and these ongoing failures are unacceptable,”said Senator Hawley. “Given the continued problems in the St. Louis area, we urge you once again to conduct a targeted audit of postal facilities and distribution centers in St. Louis County, St. Charles County, and the City of St. Louis. Identifying and addressing the root causes of these service failures is critical to restoring trust in USPS operations in the region.”
Senator Hawley has been a consistent champion of rural mail delivery and repeatedly excoriated USPS leadership for proposals that would further disenfranchise Americans living outside cities.
Read the full letter here or below.
The Honorable Tammy Whitcomb Hull Inspector General
United States Postal Service
1735 N. Lynn Street
Arlington, Virginia, 22209-2020
Dear Inspector General Hull,
We are writing once again to raise concerns about ongoing mail delivery issues affecting the St. Louis region. In April 2024, Senator Hawley’s office formally requested an audit of post offices and distribution centers in St. Louis County, St. Charles County, and the City of St. Louis. In response, your office indicated that it would proceed with a previously scheduled audit of the broader Kansas-Missouri Postal District. However, that effort did not specifically address the challenges faced by residents in the St. Louis area. Since that time, mail service in the region has not improved.
Residents in the St. Louis area continue to face significant mail delivery disruptions. Many experience persistent delays, while some go extended periods without receiving any mail at all. Concerns continue to grow over packages that end up being shuffled between St. Louis area post offices for weeks on end or payments arriving late due to the Postal Service’s ongoing issues. One individual shared that they have received mail a total of ten times so far in 2025; this is simply unacceptable. Others have struggled to access critical prescription medications and Social Security checks, creating unnecessary hardships.
Reliable mail service is essential, and these ongoing failures are unacceptable. Given the continued problems in the St. Louis area, we urge you once again to conduct a targeted audit of postal facilities and distribution centers in St. Louis County, St. Charles County, and the City of St. Louis. Identifying and addressing the root causes of these service failures is critical to restoring trust in USPS operations in the region.
We request that your office provide a response by April 15, 2025, outlining any plans to assess and improve mail delivery in the St. Louis area, along with a timeline for completing this much-needed audit.
Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Josh Hawley
United States Senator
Eric Schmitt
United States Senator
Ann Wagner
Member of Congress
Robert Onder
Member of Congress
Jason Smith
Member of Congress
Sam Graves
Member of Congress
Eric Burlison
Member of Congress