Missouri’s Mail Processing Facilities to Stay Open for Business Following McCaskill’s Fight

Missouri’s mail processing facilities, slated for closure last year, will remain open for business after a successful fight by U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill to protect rural postal facilities from closing down.

The Postal Service announced today that it has agreed to keep facilities in Springfield and Cape Girardeau open, in response to Senate-passed postal reform legislation championed by McCaskill. The Postal Service will continue plans to consolidate mail processing facilities in other parts of the country, but no facilities in Missouri will be affected.

Today’s announcement comes just days after the Postal Service agreed to McCaskill’s demands to keep rural post offices across the country open as well.

“The Postal Service is finally listening to common sense, and that’s great news for Missouri jobs, families and businesses, and for folks across rural American who rely on the mail,” said McCaskill, who was born in Rolla, Mo. “I’ve fought alongside folks on the ground in Missouri to send a clear message that our postal facilities are more than just brick and mortar—they’re the lifeblood of rural America. And that message is being heard loud and clear. But I’m not going to rest on our accomplishments. I plan to keep on fighting in the weeks and months ahead to ensure that the voices of rural Missourians are heard.”

The U.S. Postal Service announced plans last year to shutter thousands of postal facilities across the country—most from rural communities—as part of a larger cost-savings package.

McCaskill waged a year-long battle against the closures, arguing that shutting down rural post offices would not help the Postal Service achieve substantial cost-savings, but would deal significant blows to communities across rural Missouri. McCaskill helped win a temporary moratorium on closures, and then successfully passed an amendment to the Senate’s postal reform legislation that protected rural communities from losing their post offices while implementing major cost-saving reforms like addressing the Postal Service’s pre-funding requirement for retiree benefits.

McCaskill today also reissued her call for action by the U.S. House of Representatives, which has so far failed to move on postal reform legislation. Unless the House acts to pass legislation addressing its finances, the Postal Service will likely be forced to make drastic cuts to service that would hurt businesses and families in small towns across Missouri.