Peoria Standard

Peoria, Illinois – Congressmen Darin LaHood and Eric Sorensen reacted positively to the United States Postal Service's (USPS) decision to keep mail processing operations at the Peoria Mail Processing and Distribution Center unchanged. This decision follows a bipartisan effort by Reps. LaHood and Sorensen, who, in February 2024, addressed a letter to United States Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, advocating for the suspension of any relocation of the facility.

"The Peoria Mail Processing and Distribution Center provides essential services to our community, small businesses, farmers, and veterans," stated Reps. LaHood and Sorensen. "We are pleased that USPS has committed to pausing any additional changes through 2025. Together, we will work in a bipartisan manner to protect high-paying and high-quality jobs in Peoria and throughout central Illinois."

In 2021, the USPS announced the Delivering for America plan, aimed at streamlining mail processing. This plan would have led to the downsizing of the Peoria facility, requiring mail to be transported over greater distances to other centers. In response, Reps. LaHood and Sorensen sent a letter urging a reevaluation of the impact such changes could have on local services and employment.

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy responded in May 2024, indicating a halt to any relocation activity at least until after January 1, 2025. Further development transpired when the USPS pledged on April 7, 2025, not to transfer jobs from the Peoria center and to invest $8.8 million into modernizing the facility as part of a decade-long plan to update the postal network.