Rep. Ritchie Torres Urges Postmaster General to Reconsider Stamp Price Increases

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Ritchie Torres (NY-15) sent a letter to United States Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, urging him to reconsider recently announced price increases to stamps:

“I am writing to express strong opposition to the US Postal Service’s proposal for raising the price of stamps from 68 cents to 73 cents. An 8% rise in the cost of stamps will have a disparate impact on those hit hardest by inflation, particularly senior citizens struggling to scrape by. When you are living on a fixed income, every dollar counts. 

“When you find yourself at the wrong end of the digital divide, the postal service is not a luxury but a necessity. The US Postal Service has an obligation to ensure that the service it offers remains affordable to the lowest-income families who live on a fixed income and who lack access to the Internet. 

“I strongly urge the US Postal Service to seriously reconsider price increases that would compound the impact of inflation and impose a financial burden on those who can least afford it. I thank you for your consideration and look forward to your response.”

Earlier this month, CNN reported on the price increases:

“If approved by the Postal Regulatory Commission, the change would take effect in July, raising the cost of mailing services products by nearly 8%. Stamp prices alone have soared 36% since 2019 when they used to cost 50 cents. The Postal Service last raised First-Class stamp prices by two cents in January, just a few months after it raised prices three cents in July 2023…It’s rare, but not unheard of, for the regulators to decline USPS requests; they did so in 2010. The Postal Regulatory Commission denied a price hike because, according to its statement at the time, USPS ‘failed both to quantify the impact of the recession on its finances and to show how its rate request relates to the resulting loss of mail volume.’”

View official letter below.