NE Missouri News

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Sam Graves has written to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, urging the United States Postal Service (USPS) to develop a plan to ensure a post office remains in New London, Missouri. The local post office closed earlier this week for repairs, with no reopening date provided. Residents with PO Boxes are uncertain about where they will receive their mail during the closure.

“There’s been a United States Post Office in New London since 1820,” Graves stated. “Mail service is a necessity and residents shouldn’t have to drive a great distance to get it. In the wake of this temporary closure, the people of New London deserve to have adequate interim service close to home and they need to know what the long-term plan is to maintain a post office in New London for generations to come.”

Graves has previously called on USPS to reestablish post offices in Baring, LaGrange, and Clarksville, which had been shuttered due to natural disasters. LaGrange and Clarksville were ultimately reopened, and Baring is in the process of rebuilding.

Recently, Graves introduced the Pony Up Act, which would require the Postal Service to provide a mechanism for constituents to get reimbursed for late fees incurred due to delayed mail delivery experienced across North Missouri. He also urged the Postal Service to halt postage price increases until they resolve their late delivery issues.

In 2009 and 2011, USPS proposed closing thousands of post offices nationwide as part of cost-cutting measures. For years, USPS attributed financial losses to a mandate requiring prefunding retirement benefits. However, Congress eliminated this mandate in 2022 by passing the Postal Service Reform Act, which Congressman Graves co-sponsored and supported. This legislation also included a provision championed by Graves for years that preserves six-day mail service, deemed critical for rural communities across the country.

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