Missouri Congressmen re-introduce USPS "Pony Up Act" for late fees

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A trio of Missouri Congressmen have a message for the US Postal Service. Deliver the mail on time or "Pony Up."

A recent audit found Kansas City had some of the slowest and worst mail service in the nation. That included mail sitting at Kansas City postal stations for as many as 13 days without being delivered.

The audit also cited late and canceled trips and low compliance with scanning requirements contributing to inaccurate data.  

Congressman Mark Alford, R-4, said Thursday his office received a complaint from a constituent waiting to receive a check mailed 10 days ago to pay for his cancer medication. He also cited a hatchery that sends chicks in the mail, that loses $40,000 a month because they die before they are delivered.

"There's supposed to be a 6-day guarantee but it's not happening and there's no accountability," Rep. Alford said.

Alford joins other Missouri Congressmen, Emanuel Cleaver, D-4 and Sam Graves, R-6, to introduce bipartisan legislation that calls on the post office to pony up for customer's late fees.

“We need bipartisan action to ensure these costs are not levied on hardworking Americans who have no ability to prevent these delays, and I’m proud to introduce the Pony Up Act with Reps. Graves and Alford to provide relief," Rep. Cleaver said.

"It would require the postal service to reimburse people if there is a late charge. What's happening now is people are sending in their checks to the mortgage company, people still do that. If those checks don't get there, they are charged a late fee sometimes it adversely affects their credit. That's wrong."

"That makes sense to me. If I get the bill late and I therefore pay the bill late, that shouldn't be on me to have to foot that bill," customer Abby Meyer said.

According to the mail audit, most of the issues stem from employee shortages, like people not showing up to work and general oversight from supervisors and managers. Alford said he'd like to see the Postmaster General go before a house oversight committee. Louis DeJoy did appear before the Senate to discuss his Delivering for America Plan.

"I have my own people, 640,000 people, that need to learn to operate like FedEx and UPS that's the only way we survive," DeJoy responded to a question from Sen. Roger Marshall, R- KS.

According to the legislation reissued Thursday customers who ended up with late fees could either file for reimbursement online or by filling out a form at the post office.