Last week, U.S. Rep. Jack Bergman penned a letter to U.S. Postal Service Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, citing a recent decision that adversely impacts the mail processing for the Iron Mountain VA. In his letter, Bergman demanded answers for why the location’s outbound mail is now being routed to the USPS Processing and Distribution Center in Milwaukee, instead of the Green Bay center as had previously been the case.

Bergman underscored the potential consequences for such a lapse in communication from the USPS, “This lack of communication from your agency is entirely unacceptable, particularly when an operational change of this nature — affecting the delivery process for prescriptions — could have significant impacts on the health and wellbeing of Veterans in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and Northeast Wisconsin.”

The full letter is printed here —

Postmaster General DeJoy:

I write to express dismay with your decision to change the mail processing operations affecting the Oscar G. Johnson Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (OGJ VAMC) in Iron Mountain, Michigan.

It has recently come to my attention that all outbound mail from the OGJ VAMC — including vital prescriptions and documents for Veterans — is now being routed to the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) Processing and Distribution Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, instead of the Green Bay center, as had previously been the case.

What is especially concerning is that this change was made without any prior notice to my office.

Instead, I learned about this shift through constituents reaching out to me. This lack of communication from your agency is entirely unacceptable, particularly when an operational change of this nature — affecting the delivery process for prescriptions — could have significant impacts on the health and wellbeing of Veterans in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and Northeast Wisconsin.

Moreover, this shift further amplifies serious concerns regarding USPS’s ongoing challenges under the Delivering for America (DFA) plan. For months, I have raised alarms about the decline in mail service and deterioration of delivery standards linked to the DFA plan, which have disproportionately impacted rural and remote communities like ours. The decision to reroute mail from the OGJ VAMC risks worsening these challenges, further threatening the timely delivery of essential mail to one of our Nation’s most vulnerable populations.

With this in mind, I respectfully request that you provide answers to the following questions no later than February 3, 2025:

1. What factors led to the decision to reroute the OGJ VAMC’s mail from Green Bay to Milwaukee?

2. Why was my office not notified in advance of this operational change, given Congress’s oversight role in USPS operations and the need for our office to be fully informed to ensure effective communication with patients and coordination with OGJ VAMC to address any potential impacts of this change?

3. What steps is USPS taking to ensure that this change does not result in further service delays, or disrupt mail delivery to our Veterans?

Timely and reliable mail service is essential for many in my district, particularly Veterans who depend on the OGJ VAMC for critical services. Operational changes of this nature demand transparency and accountability, and USPS must improve how it communicates them.

I request a detailed explanation of this decision, including any supporting data or analysis, and urge you to commit to improving communication with my office moving forward. My office stands ready to assist you in identifying solutions to ensure USPS continues to meet the needs of our communities, especially the Veterans who have honorably served our great Nation.