Sen. Mike Rounds Blocks USPS Board Nominees Over South Dakota Mail Delays

Northeast Radio SD News – South Dakota - Escalating a dispute over deteriorating mail delivery, U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) announced a blanket hold on all nominations to the United States Postal Service (USPS) Board of Governors, sharply criticizing postal leadership in a scathing letter sent to Senate committee leaders.

In a June 11 letter addressed to Senator Rand Paul (Chairman) and Senator Gary Peters (Ranking Member) of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, Rounds declared his intent to block all USPS nominees until mail service in South Dakota is drastically improved.

The legislative maneuver comes after what Rounds describes as months of inadequate responses from top postal officials regarding severe mail delays across his home state.

“I do not take this action lightly,” Rounds wrote in the letter. “However, thousands of South Dakotans have voiced their concerns to me regarding USPS service and performance in my state.”

Rounds stated that he had previously raised these issues directly with the highest levels of postal leadership, including Postmaster General David Steiner.

According to a statement posted to the Senator’s social media, the Postmaster General has continually “insist[ed] there’s no problem,” prompting Rounds to escalate the matter.

Frustrated by the lack of timely action, Rounds has formally requested that USPS Inspector General Tammy Hull launch an investigation into the root causes of the delivery failures impacting South Dakota. While that investigation is currently ongoing,

"Northeast Radio: Your 24/7 Source for Hyper-Local News, Talk, and Music in Watertown, South Dakota. Connect with us on social media or scan to learn more!"

Rounds argued that his constituents “should not have to wait on an OIG report to convince USPS leadership to correct service issues plaguing South Dakotans.”

The Senator’s letter did not pull punches regarding the current state of the postal system. In outlining his demands for lifting the hold, Rounds stated he would only release it when “service returns to levels at least equal to the days of the Pony Express.”

He capped off the official correspondence with a sharp jab at the agency’s reliability, noting: “I am forwarding this to you via email because if I mailed it, you may not receive this letter in a timely fashion.”

By placing a blanket hold on the Board of Governors nominees, Rounds is leveraging one of the few direct tools lawmakers have to pressure the semi-independent postal agency. The Board of Governors acts similarly to a corporate board of directors, overseeing the USPS’s operations, budget, and the hiring or firing of the Postmaster General.

The letter was also copied to Senate Majority Leader John Thune, signaling unified concern from South Dakota’s congressional delegation. Rounds has made it clear that until postal leadership acknowledges the crisis and implements immediate fixes, the confirmation pipeline for USPS leadership will remain completely stalled.