{"id":14425,"date":"2016-03-17T09:30:09","date_gmt":"2016-03-17T14:30:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/postalemployeenetwork.com\/news\/?p=14425"},"modified":"2016-03-17T09:30:09","modified_gmt":"2016-03-17T14:30:09","slug":"senator-heitkamp-receives-national-award-for-protecting-rural-mail-service","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/postalemployeenetwork.com\/news\/2016\/03\/17\/senator-heitkamp-receives-national-award-for-protecting-rural-mail-service\/","title":{"rendered":"Senator Heitkamp Receives National Award for Protecting Rural Mail Service"},"content":{"rendered":"

WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013<\/b>\u00a0<\/span>U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp, a member of the Senate committee overseeing the U.S. Postal Service, was named Champion of 2016 by the National Association of Postmasters of the United States for her steadfast work to improve rural mail service and protect post offices across the country. This is the first time in four years NAPUS has honored a member of Congress with the award. \"Senator<\/p>\n

Just last month, Heitkamp launched her new\u00a0<\/span>Fix My Mail survey<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>to gather feedback from North Dakotans about challenges with their mail delivery and service. Already, Heitkamp has received nearly 400 responses from across the state. Although most North Dakotans rely on the U.S. Postal Service every day, more than 40 percent of those who responded to the survey said they feel their mail is rarely on time \u2013 with more than 60 percent reporting they cannot rely on consistent mail service. \u00a0Those responses demonstrate the importance of continuing to improve postal service in North Dakota.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn rural areas across North Dakota, the same challenge is echoed \u2013 communities are not very confident in the U.S. Postal Service, even as they continue to rely on it,\u201d said Heitkamp. \u201cThat\u2019s unacceptable. And it\u2019s why I launched my Fix My Mail initiative over two years ago to hear directly from North Dakotans about their mail issues. It\u2019s their stories that have been the catalyst for real change in North Dakota, and helped inform my bill to help fix rural mail. It\u2019s an honor to be recognized for this national award for fighting for rural America. To keep the progress going, I hope more North Dakotans will complete my new Fix My Mail survey so we can show the U.S. Postal Service the importance of continued improvements for rural mail delivery and service.\u201d<\/p>\n

Heitkamp\u2019s\u00a0<\/span>survey<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>builds on the success of her\u00a0<\/span>Fix My Mail<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>initiative \u2013 launched in January 2014 \u2013 when she collected more than 200 stories from North Dakotans about delayed mail delivery and poor service. Their feedback to Heitkamp prompted action from the Postal Service in North Dakota, and at Heitkamp\u2019s request, the U.S. Postal Service Inspector General issued a\u00a0<\/span>report confirming<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>many of the challenges North Dakotans explained in their stories. The stories from North Dakotans also helped inform\u00a0<\/span>Heitkamp\u2019s bill<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>to improve mail delivery and service in rural communities.<\/p>\n

Rural communities rely heavily on the U.S. Postal Service, and have been disproportionately impacted by poor service and delivery \u2013 a\u00a0<\/span>point echoed<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>in a separate U.S. Postal Service Inspector General report on mail volume. Over the past few years, communities in rural America have faced increased delivery times, reduced service standards, and a distressed U.S. Postal Service workforce.<\/p>\n

Heitkamp\u2019s Fix My Mail survey seeks to maintain and grow momentum for the work she has already done with North Dakotans in rural communities and across the state to improve their mail service issues, including:<\/p>\n