Peoria, Illinois – Today, Congressmen Darin LaHood (IL-16) and Eric Sorensen (IL-17) released the following statement in response to the United States Postal Service's (USPS) recent announcement that originating mail processing operations will remain at the Peoria Mail Processing and Distribution Center. This comes after a bipartisan letter authored by Reps. LaHood and Sorensen in February 2024, to United States Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, urging a pause in any movement of the Peoria Mail Processing and Distribution Center.
“The Peoria Mail Processing and Distribution Center provides essential services to our community, small businesses, farmers, and veterans,” said Reps. LaHood and Sorensen. “We are pleased that USPS has committed to pausing any additional changes through 2025. Together, we will work in a bipartisan manner to protect high-paying and high-quality jobs in Peoria and throughout central Illinois.”
Background:
In 2021, the United States Postal Service announced the Delivering for America plan to streamline the mail process. This would have caused the Peoria Mail Processing and Distribution Center to downsize and force the mail to travel hundreds of additional miles to other processing and distribution centers.
In February 2024, Reps. LaHood and Sorensen sent a letter expressing concerns about the USPS’ Mail Processing Facility Review of the Peoria Mail Processing and Distribution Center and the potential impact on local services and jobs. Read more HERE.
In May 2024, Reps. LaHood and Sorensen received a response to their letter from USPS Postmaster General Louis DeJoy stating USPS will "pause any implementation of moves" for Mail Processing Centers "at least until after January 1, 2025." Read more HERE.
On Monday, April 7, 2025, the USPS announced that it would not move jobs from the Peoria Mail Processing and Distribution Center while also investing up to $8.8 million in the Peoria facility to move forward as part of a ten-year Delivering for America plan to modernize the nation’s aged and neglected postal network.
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