Budzinski Calls on USPS to Halt Plans to Downsize Springfield Facility
USPS consolidation plan could add miles, delay mail for Central Illinois residents.
SPRINGFIELD – Today, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) called on the United States Postal Service (USPS) to halt plans to downsize the Springfield Processing and Distribution Center (P&DC) and consolidate its operations into the St. Louis P&DC. In the letter to Postmaster General David Steiner, Budzinski raised concerns that the plan, spearheaded by former Postmaster General DeJoy, would lead to further delivery delays for Central Illinois residents and hurt local postal employees in Springfield.
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Budzinski wrote, “As you may know, under your predecessor’s “Delivering for America” plan, the Springfield P&DC was targeted for potential downsizing and consolidation into the St. Louis P&DC. This plan would have forced mail from the Springfield region to travel hundreds of additional miles to St. Louis before being sent out to its final destination…Given that across downstate Illinois, just 73 percent of First-Class three-to-five day mail is being delivered on-time forcing mail from Springfield to travel hundreds of additional miles to another state before reaching its final destination would only create further delivery delays for my constituents across Central Illinois.”
Congresswoman Budzinski has been a staunch advocate of improved mail service, while strongly opposing efforts toward privatization and proposals that would reduce service reliability and speed for rural communities. Earlier this month, she launched the bipartisan Congressional Postal Service Caucus to focus on these issues in the House of Representatives.
The full text of the letter is HERE and below:
Postmaster General David Steiner
475 L’Enfant Plaza SW
Washington, DC 20260
Postmaster General Steiner,
As the Member of Congress who represents much of Springfield, Illinois, and its surrounding areas, I am writing to raise serious concerns about the Delivering for America’s (DFA) plan to downsize the Springfield Processing and Distribution Center (P&DC).
As you may know, under your predecessor’s “Delivering for America” plan, the Springfield P&DC was targeted for potential downsizing and consolidation into the St. Louis P&DC. This plan would have forced mail from the Springfield region to travel hundreds of additional miles to St. Louis before being sent out to its final destination. When the Postal Service first attempted to make P&DC consolidation changes in the Richmond, Virginia, region, a United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS OIG) report found that the consolidations in the region resulted in “a decrease in service performance for the Richmond region.” This report also found that these changes resulted in additional transportation and labor costs for the Postal Service, totaling over $8 million.
Given that across downstate Illinois, just 73 percent of First-Class three-to-five day mail is being delivered on-time forcing mail from Springfield to travel hundreds of additional miles to another state before reaching its final destination would only create further delivery delays for my constituents across Central Illinois.
I also have very serious concerns regarding the ability of the St. Louis P&DC to take on additional mail capacity. On August 11, 2025, the USPS OIG issued a report stating that mail had been delayed across the St. Louis metro region, in large part due to structural and management issues within the St. Louis P&DC. Forcing the St. Louis P&DC to process additional mail from the Springfield region would not only further decrease service across the St. Louis region, but would also result in significant delays for my constituents in the Springfield area.
For these reasons, I am respectfully asking that you permanently halt any plans to downsize or consolidate the Processing and Distribution Center located at 2105 E. Cook Street in Springfield. Keeping the Springfield P&DC fully operational will not only protect local postal employees in Springfield, but will also ensure local mail is not forced to travel hundreds of additional miles before reaching its final destination.
I appreciate your attention to this important matter. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to my staff for further information.
Sincerely,
Nikki Budzinski
Member of Congress
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