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January 16, 2026
Dear John,
Return to Sender: Common Sense
The United States Postal Service (USPS) is not meeting the needs of South Dakotans. I hear almost every day about a lost package, delayed mail resulting in late fees, medication delays, and the questionable routing of mail. USPS delivery times continue to get worse, and it’s having a real impact on individuals and businesses. The data shows USPS service performance data has trended downward in every measurable category for every type of postage for the last four years.
At the end of December, I surveyed South Dakotans about their Postal Service experiences. I received more than 4,200 responses. More than 50% of these folks said their service is poor or very poor. More than 3,000 people shared their stories of difficulties with the Postal Service.
I heard from folks like Susan from Faulkton who incurred a $2,700 late fee because her check took 25 days to get to Sioux Falls. There’s a business in Bath whose customers often don’t receive their checks or get them two months late. And some people like Mary bought Christmas presents early, only to have them travel to nine different states before being delivered to Huron – 10 days late, and after Christmas.
Mary’s package delivery route
I held a roundtable in Sioux Falls to allow constituents to share their USPS story. I was joined by my colleague, Congressman Pete Sessions who chairs the House subcommittee that oversees the U.S. Postal Service, so he could hear directly from South Dakotans.
During the roundtable, we heard about how the unreliable delivery of mail is delaying critical medications, messages between family and friends, and is costing our small businesses money. In Sioux Falls, the closing of several retail counters has caused even longer lines and worsened the customer experience.
Following these discussions, it’s clear the issue with the Postal Service is often not with the individual carriers who deliver the mail. The issue is mostly with the Postal Service leadership whose decisions have decreased the quality of service the USPS provides in South Dakota.
I’m grateful to all who shared their stories with me. While the U.S. Postal Service was unable to attend the roundtable, I’ll be sending them a full report displaying the impact of their service decisions in South Dakota.
Johnson listens to Postal Service concerns during roundtable in Sioux Falls
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