U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) has asked the United States Postal Service’s Inspector General to investigate the impacts of Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s 10-year plan, which has been criticized by Democrats and labor unions for its potential to lead to privatization, job cuts, and decreased service quality.

In a letter to Inspector General Tammy Hull, Tlaib cited concerns raised by postal employees in her district. She said the plan “appears to put the USPS on a fast track towards privatization, job cuts, negatively impacted service operations, and a culture of general dysfunction at one of our country’s bedrock institutions.”

Tlaib asked Hull to investigate the process that led to the changes outlined in DeJoy’s plan, as well as the impact of those changes on postal employees and customers. She also asked for a report on the USPS’s financial condition and its ability to meet its service obligations under the plan.

DeJoy’s 10-year plan, which he unveiled in March 2021, calls for a number of changes to the USPS, including:

• Slowing down first-class mail delivery by one to two days
• Eliminating overtime for mail carriers
• Closing or consolidating thousands of post offices
• Investing in new technologies to improve efficiency

DeJoy has said that the plan is necessary to save the USPS, which has been facing financial losses for years. However, critics have argued that the plan will lead to longer wait times for mail delivery, job losses for postal workers, and less convenient access to postal services for rural communities and underserved communities.

The USPS Inspector General is responsible for overseeing the USPS and investigating allegations of wrongdoing. It is unclear whether the Inspector General will open an investigation into DeJoy’s plan. However, Tlaib’s letter is likely to put additional pressure on the USPS to address concerns about the plan and its potential impacts.

** This piece was created with the help of ai.