Three Republican U.S. representatives visit Palmetto mail facility

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U.S. Reps. Mike Collins (left), Andrew Clyde (center) and Austin Scott (right) toured the USPS processing facility in Palmetto.

Credit: Sarah Kallis / GPB News

Three Republican U.S. representatives visited the United States Postal Service processing center in Palmetto, Ga., on Monday to tour it and speak to employees. 

Reps. Mike Collins, Andrew Clyde, and Austin Scott said they have all heard constituent complaints about slow mail service, but have faith that the problems will be fixed within the next eight weeks. 

"I think they've got that management in place right now and the employees in place right now to continue to improve. And I expect within the next couple of months, you know, not to be getting those phone calls that we're getting right now from constituents that are concerned, and rightly so, about their mail not being delivered on time," Clyde said. 

A week and a half prior, Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff toured the facility and said that he will continue to apply "maximum pressure" on Postmaster General Louis DeJoy until mail service improves.

The Palmetto facility is about 25 miles south of Atlanta, and opened in February as part of a nationwide consolidation effort. Postal customers across the state have experienced frustrating delays since opening. 

Scott said that changes in the type of mail USPS is handling has led to changes in the facility. 

"First class mail delivery is down 60% over the last couple of decades, and obviously the package volume has gone way up," Scott said. "So the old facilities designed around first class mail, simply were not efficient. This current facility is going to be efficient."