While the bulk of House Democrats were speaking on the Capitol steps on Friday to express their opposition to the GOP-backed measure to avoid a government shutdown, a bipartisan quintet of lawmakers gathered a couple yards away to launch a new caucus dedicated to stopping certain U.S. Postal Service reforms, improving on-time mail delivery rates and supporting the postal workforce.

“It’s a definite sign that in a time of great division here in Congress and in this country that so many people, Republican and Democrat, agree on the importance of keeping the Postal Service strong and making sure that the service remains a blessing,” said Rep. Stephen Lynch, D-Mass., one of the members of the Congressional Postal Service Caucus.

Lynch was joined by caucus co-chairs Reps. Chris Pappas, D-N.H.; Nikki Budzinski, D-Ill.; Andrew Garbarino, R-N.Y.; and Jack Bergman, R-Mich., alongside newly elected Rep. James Walkinshaw, D-Va.

Several of the speakers criticized planned closures of mail sorting facilities in their districts, which are part of the Delivering for America modernization plan that was spearheaded by former Postmaster General Louis DeJoy. The reform plan has tasked the postal agency with setting up 60 centralized processing and distribution centers that DeJoy argued would provide for more effective delivery.

The Postal Service has updated its list of famous postal workers.

The list, compiled by the USPS historian’s office, features 35 names, including actors, artists, athletes, musicians and politicians.

Here’s a sample:

• Steve Carrell: “The Office” star was a rural carrier in Littleton, MA, in 1985.

• Bing Crosby: The popular actor and singer — ranked as “the most admired man alive” in a 1948 poll — was a substitute and regular clerk in Spokane, WA, in 1921.

• Walt Disney: The animator, film producer and theme park pioneer was a substitute carrier in Chicago in 1918 and a temporary holiday worker in Kansas City, MO, in 1919.

• William Faulkner: The novelist and Nobel laureate served as acting postmaster and postmaster in University, MS, from 1921-1924.

• Dennis Franz: Before he starred on “NYPD Blue” in the 1990s, Franz was a substitute letter carrier in Illinois in the 1970s.

• Ace Frehley: The KISS guitarist was a New York City substitute letter carrier in the 1970s.

• Morgan Freeman: The Academy Award-winning actor was a substitute letter carrier in San Francisco around 1965.

• Sherman Hemsley: Before he moved on up as a star of “The Jeffersons,” Hemsley worked as a clerk in Philadelphia and New York City in the 1960s.

• Rock Hudson: The film and TV actor was a substitute letter carrier in Winnetka, IL, around 1947.

• Abraham Lincoln: The 16th president was the postmaster in New Salem, IL, from 1833-1836.

• Charles Lindbergh: The aviator was an airmail pilot from 1926-1927.

• Jason Mraz: The singer-songwriter was a casual clerk in Richmond, VA, around 1995.

• Knute Rockne: The football coach was a substitute and regular clerk in Chicago from 1907–1910.

• Harry S. Truman: The 33rd president was the postmaster in Grandview, MO, from 1914-1915.

• Hal Williams: The “227” and “Private Benjamin” star was a Los Angeles clerk from 1968 until the 1970s.

As the historian’s office notes, 16 of the names — including Crosby, Disney, Faulkner, Lincoln and Truman — were honored with stamps after their postal service.

The full list is available on the usps.com postal history page. Employees who know about other famous postal workers can email their tips to the historian’s office.

WASHINGTON — From the busiest cities to the most remote locations, the U.S. Postal Service has been delivering mail and connecting the nation for 250 years.

Throughout its history, the Postal Service has used various forms of transportation to ensure customers receive their mail and packages. Some delivery routes are served by more traditional means — vehicles and walking — while others are served by less conventional methods such as dog sleds, boats, donkeys, and bicycles. No matter the transportation choice, the delivery routes all have one thing in common: dedicated mail carriers.

Postal Geography

What began as a handful of routes crisscrossing the United States has grown into a network of more than 234,000 delivery routes encompassing all 50 states, the District of Columbia and the five major U.S. territories — Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands and American Samoa.

To operate more efficiently, the Postal Service organized the nation into four geographic regions — Atlantic, Central, Southern (including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands), and WestPac (Western and Pacific states as well as Guam, Northern Mariana Islands and American Samoa). The states and territories within the four regions are divided into 50 districts. Some states are combined to form one district (for example, Kentucky-West Virginia) while other states are divided into multiple districts (such as California, which has six districts).

Longest Route in the Nation

The longest round trip route in the nation is in Idaho-Montana-Oregon District, in the town of Sidney, MT. This town of more than 6,000 residents is less than 10 miles from the North Dakota border. The letter carrier drives 195 miles every day, delivering mail to 305 mailboxes.

Notable Long Routes

Other long routes delivered include:

• Atlantic Area:
  • Maryland District: The small town of Accident in western Maryland is home to the state’s longest route. Rural Carrier Paula Artice travels 95 miles and serves 416 mailboxes on her route.
  • New York 3 District: The route served by the Addison Post Office encompasses 120 miles serving 404 mailboxes.
  • North Carolina District: The longest route checks in at 119 miles in Lansing.

• Central Area:
  • Illinois 2 District (western Illinois, near the Missouri border): Pleasant Hill, IL, Rural Carrier John Springer drives 146 miles to deliver to 385 mailboxes, serving 985 residents.
  • Kentucky-West Virginia District: The longest route is in Grayson, KY. Rural Carrier Jolene Kees travels 135 miles and serves 479 mailboxes a day.
  • Ohio 1 District: This route starts and ends in Cadiz. Rural Carrier Nicole Cox drives 111 miles to deliver to 356 mailboxes. The route includes two ZIP Codes in two counties, and Cox switches between ZIP Codes 11 times during delivery.

• Southern Area:
  • Arkansas-Oklahoma District: The Mangum, OK, route is 183 miles long, delivering to 277 mailboxes.
  • Louisiana District: The longest route can be found in Arcadia. It spans 164 miles and serves 279 mailboxes.
  • Texas 3 District (includes San Antonio, Austin, El Paso): The longest route can be found in Abernathy. The carrier delivers to 219 mailboxes and drives 123 miles each day.

• WestPac Area:
  • Arizona-New Mexico District: The Grady, NM, route is 149 miles.
  • California 5 District (includes Los Angeles and Orange County): The route serving Los Angeles is not long in terms of distance but because of density, the route for ZIP Code 90046 delivers to 34,434 addresses.
  • Hawaii District: The route served by the Barrigada Post Office in Guam is 68 miles, delivering to more than 1,000 mailboxes.The Barrigada Post Office is the westernmost Post Office in the USPS network.

There are dozens more lengthy routes served by the Postal Service to be found in each state or U.S. territory. For information or interviews about the locations listed above, or to inquire about the routes in other locations, contact your local Corporate Communications representative. All local/state media contact information is available in our online newsroom.