Reed, Whitehouse Call on Postmaster General to Immediately Reverse Operational Changes to the U.S. Postal Service Causing Delays of Medications to Rhode Islanders

Senators: “We continue to have grave concerns regarding widespread delays in the delivery of critical medications that millions of Americans rely upon every day.”

 

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) today joined Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and 34 of their Senate colleagues in calling on Postmaster General Louis DeJoy to immediately reverse all operational and organizational changes that have delayed delivery of critical medications to Rhode Islanders.

 

“The Postal Service is an essential public institution that must uphold its duty to serve every community.  Your recently implemented changes pose an unacceptable threat and continue to have a devastating effect on communities that rely on consistent access to medication through the mail.  We have received numerous reports from seniors about delays in receiving their prescriptions through the mail, leaving some without life-sustaining medication for days.  Others have been forced to obtain emergency prescriptions from their doctors and pay out-of-pocket for medication because their original prescriptions covered by insurance never arrived,” the Senators wrote in a letter to Postmaster General DeJoy.

 

“We call on you to immediately reverse all operational and organizational changes that have resulted in life-threatening delays of critical medications to Americans. As you noted, ‘it is imperative for the Postal Service to operate efficiently and effectively, while continuing to provide service that meets the needs of [its] customers.’  Right now, the Postal Service is failing to meet the needs of many Americans and adhere to its mission of ‘prompt, reliable, and efficient services to patrons in all areas.’  As we continue to fight this pandemic, the Postal Service is integral to keeping millions of Americans safe, especially seniors, people with chronic conditions, and people with disabilities,” continued the Senators.

 

The full text of the letter can be found here.

Former President Trump is in court again today as his criminal hush money trial resumes. Jurors are once again hearing testimony from former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker, who gave details this week on how he protected Trump from negative stories leading up to the 2016 presidential election. Trump faces felony charges of falsifying business records to cover up payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels to keep her quiet about an alleged affair.       President Biden is the first sitting president to be interviewed by Howard Stern. He made a surprise appearance on the Howard Stern Show Friday morning, with the interview being announced just minutes before it happened. The first part of the interview focused on Biden's political career while also touching on the 1972 accident that killed his first wife and daughter.        Inflation is still on the rise, according to a new economic report. The Commerce Department says personal consumption expenditures price index excluding food and energy rose two-point-eight-percent from March 2023 to March 2024. When food and energy are included, the increase was two-point-seven-percent.        The U.S. is calling on China to stop supporting Russia's war on Ukraine. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing today. Blinken told reporters he raised concerns with Chinese officials over the country's support for Russia's military. Blinken, however, did not respond to a question over whether the U.S. would be willing to impose sanctions on China.        Gas prices are up slightly heading into the weekend. Triple-A reports the national average for a gallon of regular is three-dollars-and-66-cents, up a penny from yesterday. Drivers are paying 13 cents more than a week ago. The lowest gas prices are being seen in Mississippi at three-oh-eight a gallon, while commuters in California continue to see the highest prices at the pump with a gallon costing an average of five-40.       Eminem's new album "The Death Of Slim Shady (Coup De Grace)" [[ coo-day-grah ]] is dropping this summer. He made the announcement just before making an appearance at the NFL draft in Detroit, releasing a trailer for the album right after. It shows a true crime reporter talking about the rapper's alter ego's death. This is Eminem's 12th studio album.