WASHINGTON, D.C. – During a meeting with the Deputy Postmaster General Ronald Stroman, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) pressed for the cancelation of plans to consolidate dozens of U.S. Postal Service (USPS) processing centers nationwide, including the processing center in Toledo.

“Ohioans rely on USPS for timely delivery of prescription drugs, small business shipments across the country, and to manage their bills and finances,” said Brown. “I hope USPS will take its customers into account and decide not to close down these facilities.”

In a December 2014 letter to then Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe, Brown requested that USPS delay consolidation of up to 82 mail processing facilities nationally. The letter followed a report by the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General that found the USPS failed to fulfill its obligations to study the impact of consolidation and properly notify local customers of these changes. Without completion of these studies, local communities and customers are unable to fully anticipate the effects closures or consolidations may have in their community.

In August 2014, Brown and 49 other senators sent a letter to the Chairs and Ranking Members of the United States Senate Committee on Appropriations and the Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government, urging them to prevent the planned closing and consolidation of several USPS mail processing facilities across the country. In their letter, the senators asked the Committee and Subcommittee to prevent all closings and consolidations in Fiscal Year 2015 through omnibus appropriations legislation or a continuing resolution, giving Congress time to pass comprehensive postal reform legislation to fund the Postal Service’s operations.

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