Rep. Loudermilk Demands Answers from USPS on Mail Delivery Breakdowns Across Georgia
Washington, D.C. (April 11, 2024) | This week, Rep. Barry Loudermilk (GA-11) released the following statement demanding answers from the United States Postal Service (USPS) on mail service delivery breakdowns occurring across Georgia:
“Mail delays and USPS operational breakdowns occurring throughout the state are deeply troubling and require both rigorous oversight and additional transparency from USPS to all those affected. These major disruptions deeply impact many of my constituents who depend on USPS to pay their bills, receive their paychecks, file their taxes, send their ballot, and in some cases get medications and other life-saving products,” said Rep. Loudermilk. “All Georgians and Americans deserve to have secure access to their mail without disruption. My office is working diligently to ensure these matters are quickly resolved and I invite Postmaster General Louis DeJoy to Georgia to see the service impacts himself.”
For constituents facing mail service disruptions, please see some resources below:
USPS Service Performance Dashboard: To track USPS performance in your area, please click here. This dashboard measures the speed and reliability of USPS mail services, measuring mail from collection to delivery. The USPS portal only tracks performance two-weeks prior.
Filing Taxes: When sending your taxes and payment, please ensure that all documents and payment sent via USPS is first class, certified mail and is postmarked before April 15, 2024. For more information on filing an extension with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), talk with your tax preparer or click here. You should estimate and pay your owed taxes by the regular deadline.
Voting Plan and Mail Ballot Tracking: When deciding to vote in the 2024 elections, click here to see a voting guide from the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office, where you can learn more about voting options to cast your ballot early, by absentee, or vote in-person on Election Day. Due to these mail disruptions, we strongly encourage constituents to secure their ballot at a drop-box location instead of sending it through the mail to avoid these mail disruptions.
Additionally, Rep. Loudermilk is continuing to seek answers and a detailed explanation from USPS Postmaster General DeJoy for alleged fraud at the Marietta Post Office last year, following the launch of a bipartisan inquiry with Sens. Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock on March 21, 2024. Currently, no new updates have transpired in this effort.
Click here to read the full text of the March 21st letter to Postmaster DeJoy.
Rep. Loudermilk Votes Against House FISA Reauthorization Bill
Washington, D.C. (April 12, 2024) | Today, Rep. Barry Loudermilk (GA-11) released the following statement following his vote against H.R. 7888, the Reforming Intelligence and Securing America Act. The bill passed the House, 273-147:
“Americans’ right to privacy, as guaranteed under the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, is paramount and non-negotiable. While reauthorizing FISA is an important tool to protect our national security interests, it is crucial to ensure that the federal government stays within their explicitly defined boundaries.
“In recent years, the federal government has used their surveillance powers to conduct warrantless, unconstitutional searches and unlawful collections of Americans’ personal information. As a champion of the Fourth Amendment and reforming FISA, I supported an amendment to FISA Section 702, which would have required the FBI to obtain a warrant before infringing on the privacy of Americans. Since the amendment failed, I believe the reauthorization bill that passed today lacked the safeguards to protect Americans’ privacyrights. If the intelligence community needs to access an American citizen’s data, they must be required to get a warrant, as set forth in federal law.”
Rep. Loudermilk Criticizes the SEC's Climate Rule Threatening American Markets and Highlights Concerning Influence of Politics in Science
This week, Rep. Barry Loudermilk (GA-11)asked Liberty Energy Chief Executive Officer Chris Wright about the harmful impacts of the U.S. Securities and Exchange (SEC) climate disclosure rule and the politicization of science by financial regulators. The SEC’s rule would require every public company to report on immaterial climate risks that are difficult to predict and quantify, dramatically affecting small and mid-sized businesses.
Rep. Loudermilk also asked Former Acting Chairman of the SEC Elad Roisman about his concern that the SEC is misleading the American people about the effectiveness of their climate rule, and whether he thinks the agency was pressured by activist groups to finalize the proposal.
Rep. Loudermilk Joins WSB-TV and Demands Answers over Postal Delays, Alleged Fraud
This week, Rep. Barry Loudermilk (GA-11) joined Channel 2 Action News (WSB-TV) to express his concerns about mail delays and operational breakdowns occurring inside the United States Postal Service (USPS) across Georgia.
“We’re getting more phone calls about doing something about the Postal Services. It’s probably equal to the concerns we have about the Southern Border. It’s affecting businesses, it’s affecting individuals, and it has the potential to affect the upcoming election, as well as the tax season. Taxes are due this week,” Rep. Loudermilk said.
Rep. Loudermilk also said mail delays and operational breakdowns inside USPS are just not acceptable. "It's poor planning, it's bad management," Rep. Loudermilk continued.
Rep. Loudermilk Cosponsors Bill to Stop Illegal Immigrants from skewing Congressional Representation and Electoral College Votes
This week, Rep. Barry Loudermilk (GA-11) joined Reps. Chuck Edwards (NC-11) and Warren Davidson (OH-08) as a cosponsor of H.R. 7109, the Equal Representation Act to stop the inclusion of illegal immigrants in the count toward congressional district apportionment and the Electoral College map.
Currently, illegal immigrants are counted for congressional district apportionment and impact Electoral College votes. This results in some states, like California and New York, having a greater influence over our electoral system, in the form of more congressional seats and Electoral College votes, than the states’ populations would warrant. The Equal Representation Act would:
Mandate that the Census Bureau reinstate the citizenship question on the decennial census.
Only allow United States citizens to count toward determining the number of congressional seats, which also affects Electoral College votes in presidential elections.
Require public reporting of all information gathered from the citizenship question by state no later than 120 days after completion of the decennial census.
IN THE NEWS: Postal Issues Raise Concern About Absentee Ballot Security
Marietta Daily Journal:
As widespread reports of postal theft, delayed delivery and fraud continue to stem from the U.S. Postal Service, the security of mail-in ballots has been called into question ahead of the 2024 election season.
According to Cobb County Elections Director Tate Fall, there have been delays in ballots and post cards mailed to Cobb voters.
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The MDJ has also been investigating stolen mail and check washing out of the U.S. Post Office on Lawrence Street in Marietta, leading Ossoff, Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Georgia, and Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Cassville, to launch an inquiry into the reported theft with DeJoy in March.
The U.S. Postal Service did not respond for comment about how it is ensuring timely delivery of ballots in light of delays related to the Palmetto distribution center or how citizens can trust the security of ballots being mailed through the Marietta Post Office.
The May 21 primary for the November general election is just weeks away, and will take place amidst several congressional inquiries into the Palmetto distribution center and continued reports of theft from Marietta residents out of the Lawrence Street Post Office.
IN THE NEWS: US Senate to hold hearing over USPS delays at metro Atlanta distribution center
Channel 2 News (WSB-TV):
The United States Senate will hold a hearing in the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Tuesday regarding oversight of the U.S. Postal Service.
Channel 2 Action News has been reporting for months about customers’ frustrations in metro Atlanta, particularly with a distribution center in Palmetto.
There have been repeated calls for oversight of USPS from members of the U.S. House and Senate to both correct issues causing the delays and bring accountability.
On Thursday, Rep. Barry Loudermilk told Channel 2 Action News that issues at the USPS are having effects across Georgia and the rest of the nation.
Both of Georgia’s U.S. Senators, Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, have also launched an inquiry into allegations of mail fraud, mail theft and check washing at a Marietta postal facility.
IN THE NEWS: DC National Guard whistleblowers to say they WERE ready to be deployed on January 6 on Trump's orders hours but were held back by the Pentagon in bombshell testimony contradicting Capitol riot committee's story
Daily Mail:
Whistleblowers from the Washington D.C. National Guard will tell Congress that Donald Trump did want them deployed during the Capitol riot and the Army delayed telling them to mobilize in a bombshell hearing next week.
DailyMail can exclusively reveal that at least three officers will appear Wednesday before a House subcommittee to claim their stories were also ignored by the Democrat-led January 6 committee, because it didn't fit their narrative.
The hearing will aim to further prove that Acting Defense Secretary at the time Christopher Miller did give advance approval of D.C. National Guard deployment at the direction of then-President Donald Trump.
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Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.) is chairman of the Oversight Subcommittee, which is tasked with reviewing the January 6 Committee's investigation into the Capitol riot.
Last month, Loudermilk released a transcript of a never-before-seen interview with Tony Ornato, the man in charge of Trump's security detail on January 6, 2021. In the interview with the panel, Ornato confirmed that Trump did authorize the National Guard for mobilization and deployment to D.C. that day.
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