FILE - In this March 1, 2017, file photo, then Elon Trustee Louis DeJoy is honored with Elon's Medal for Entrepreneurial Leadership in Elon. N.C. U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin and union officials say the U.S. Postal Service is considering closing post offices across the country, sparking worries ahead the anticipated surge of mail-in ballots in the 2020 elections. Manchin on Wednesday, July 29, 2020 said he has received numerous reports from post offices and colleagues about service cuts or looming closures in West Virginia and elsewhere, prompting him to send a letter to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy asking for an explanation. (Kim Walker/Elon University via AP, File)
WASHINGTON (AP) — Financial losses are mounting at the U.S. Postal Service during the coronavirus pandemic. The agency said Friday it lost $2.2 billion in the three months ending in June. Officials warn the losses could top $20 billion over two years. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy calls the agency’s financial position “dire.″ DeJoy’s comments are his first public remarks since taking the top job in June. The Postal Service is seeking an infusion of at least $10 billion to cover operating losses as well as changes to how it funds retiree health benefits. Lawmakers are calling on the Postal Service to reverse operational changes that are causing delivery delays.
