Smith, Fischer, Ricketts Issue Statements on Revision of Proposed Changes to USPS Operations at North Platte Facility

Washington, D.C. – Today Representative Adrian Smith (R-NE) and Senators Deb Fischer (R-NE) and Pete Ricketts (R-NE) released the following statements after United States Postmaster General Louis DeJoy announced local processing operations will remain at the North Platte, NE, Mail Processing and Distribution Center and U.S. Postal Service plans to invest up to $4.4 million in modernization efforts at the North Platte facility.

"I am glad to see the Postal Service no longer plans to send local mail from the North Platte facility to Denver," said Rep. Smith. "Improvements to postal operations are needed to better serve Nebraskans. Any efforts toward modernization must not come at the expense of customer service but rather increase effectiveness. Because of this, I have urged President Trump to maintain high standards for rural delivery as his administration works to address the significant challenges facing the Postal Service."

"This is wonderful news for North Platte," said Sen. Fischer. We spoke out against the troubling plan to move mail operations to Denver, and thankfully, our concerns were heard. Mail processing operations are essential to the North Platte area, and I am glad they will continue benefitting this community and Nebraska as a whole."

"The North Platte facility is vital for ensuring timely and reliable mail and package deliveries for communities across Nebraska," said Sen. Ricketts. "This decision reaffirms that we can enhance efficiency and improve service quality without sacrificing local operations. I’m glad the Postmaster General listened to our call to protect critical services for rural Nebraska."

BACKGROUND:

In February 2024, Smith sent a letter to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy expressing concerns over proposed removal of postal operations from the North Platte, NE Mail Processing and Distribution Center as part of USPS Mail Processing Facility Reviews. In May, DeJoy agreed to delay the planned changes to operations at the North Platte facility until 2025.

Earlier this month, Smith led Nebraska colleagues in sending a letter to President Donald Trump expressing concern over USPS delivery to rural Americans asking President Trump to fill current vacancies on the USPS Board of Governors with individuals ready to advance solutions.

In his most recent weekly column, Smith outlined the need for innovation at USPS to fulfill its legal obligation to maintain a standard of timely service to rural Americans.