'Outrageous' late mail impacting Virginia veterans unable to get health screening results

RICHMOND, Va. -- For weeks, CBS 6 has heard from viewers about problems with the US Postal Service.

Stolen mail and late mail impacting businesses and legal operations, with viewers saying there's been a lack of response from USPS as to why.

It's something lawmakers, including Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan, have been following closely.

"It's just unacceptable," McClellan said during an interview Thursday. "I'm very frustrated by the lack of urgency and lack of transparency that we've seen from the Postal Service to address these situations and be transparent about the delays and what they're doing to fix them.

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In the past few months, USPS has declined provide a representative to speak at town halls addressing mail issues.

McClellan, as well as Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner, and other Virginia representatives shared this letter they sent to USPS about the latest issue of late mail ringing the alarm even later.

They received a report that out of 870 immunochemical test samples collected from veterans as an early screening tool for colon cancer, more than half did not make it to Richmond's Veteran Affairs Medical Center within the two-week window to be collected and tested, rendering them useless.

"Just knowing that you have these veterans waiting for the screenings, anxiously awaiting the results, and now to know that they will have to redo the screening, is just unacceptable," McClellan said.

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Some of the tests dated as far back as mid-2023.

"It's outrageous," Warner said in a media briefing Thursday. "Our veterans deserve better. Our citizens deserve better in terms of the Postal Service."

The VA sent a statement to CBS 6 saying in part: "While we continue to work closely with both Congressional officials and the USPS to ensure timely delivery of these test results, we want to assure our Veteran patients we are following up on every single test that has been returned to us. In some cases, the test will need to be taken again."

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When CBS 6 reached out to the Postal Service, a representative responded saying USPS was investigating the matter and apologized to the customers impacted.

The letter highlighting the issue was signed with bipartisan support from Republicans and Democrats, asking for a briefing and a tour of the postal facility. The letter says the Postal Service declined similar requests in the past.

"The citizens in the Richmond area are their customers. It is not acceptable for them to say they will not appear in public and answer the public's questions and their customers' concerns," Warner said.

"We are exploring oversight opportunities," McClellan said. "At some point, they're going to have to be responsive. And it's just a matter of how far we escalate. They can either do it the easy way, or they can do it the hard way."

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