EXCLUSIVE: Post Office Admits It Has Little Clue How To Deal With Hundreds Of Vacant Buildings
The United States Postal Service (USPS) admitted it has 285 buildings across the country that are partially or completely unused, but said legislative solutions are needed to address the inventory, according to a Thursday letter.
Republican Sen. Joni Ernst demanded that the United States Postal Service (USPS) account for the use of its buildings in a letter sent Dec. 19, citing a Nov. 24 report from the agency’s inspector general. In the letter, USPS Government Liaison Director Michael J. Gordon explained why the agency was struggling to manage the additional buildings. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Joni Ernst Asks USPS to Explain Why They Can’t Account for Space in 21,000 Buildings)
“I understand your concerns about unnecessary government properties and note that federal law makes it very difficult to close or consolidate inefficient or unnecessary facilities,” Gordon wrote. “Additionally, we regularly receive excessive pressure from Congress, including from some of your colleagues in the Iowa delegation, who oppose even minor changes that would increase efficiency (such as moving limited mail processing operations from one facility to another, even when the first facility would remain open and operational). »
“Similarly, we recently heard very strong opposition from Congress to terminating contracts with third-party facilities (such as grocery and convenience stores) that provide postal service, a move that would save us money and have no real effect on service,” Gordon continued. “Congress’s insistence on maintaining the status quo, even when doing so proves costly, ineffective and outdated, makes modest efforts at modernization and financial sustainability extraordinarily difficult, if not sometimes impossible. »
📨SPECIAL DELIVERY FROM @SenJoniErnst! A U.S. senator wants to know why the USPS can’t account for space used in more than 21,000 buildings. An exclusive at @DailyCaller 📨https://t.co/YDLxEUyJiP
– Harold Hutchison (@HaroldHutchison) December 19, 2025
The USPS has lost more than $18 billion over the past two fiscal years, according to a Nov. 14 news release from the agency. Ernst told the Daily Caller News Foundation that the inventory of surplus buildings helps explain the USPS’ poor financial situation.
“If you’re wondering why the USPS is losing billions of dollars, look no further: It’s paying for almost 300 buildings it doesn’t need,” Ernst said. “No business could operate this way, but unfortunately this problem is far too common in our government. This is exactly why Congress must pass my DISPOSAL Act to streamline the sale of underutilized and unneeded buildings to save taxpayers billions of dollars. The American people deserve better.”
The USPS owns or leases more than 34,000 buildings across the country, more than 95% of which have not been examined at all or since 2020, according to the IG report released in November.
“The Postal Service has not effectively managed excess and underutilized space because it does not have reliable data, does not know the amount of this space across its network, and does not have an overall strategy to reduce this space. The Postal Service also failed to meet a key goal. [Federal Property Management Reform Act (FPMRA)] the requirement for reporting on excess and underutilized space,” the report said. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: GOP Senator Sounds Alarm About Uncle Sam’s Rent on Massive Portfolio of Government Buildings During Shutdown)
Ernst introduced S. 3901, the Disposal of Inactive Structures and Properties by Offer for Sale and Lease (DISPOSAL) Act, on Oct. 30, which seeks to sell six large federally owned buildings in Washington, D.C., while streamlining the process of selling other buildings.
In a 60-page report released on December 5, 2024, which reported the results of its investigations into teleworking issues, Ernst noted that largely vacant office buildings resulting from liberal remote work policies established during the COVID-19 pandemic were having adverse effects on environmental quality in workplaces.
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