U.S. Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine's Second District, circulated the following update from Washington, D.C.

Welcome to my weekly rundown, the latest on what I’ve been working on for Mainers in the Second District:

My new series “Zoom In/Zoom Out”

There’s always a lot going on in Washington. Often, there is a clear “lead story” of the day that’s dominating the headlines and TV news rundowns. While many of those stories can be important, they don’t stop Mainers from simultaneously reaching out to me about their own concerns. I do my best to use my position to put a spotlight on those problems, but also can get frustrated that important topics aren’t getting the attention they deserve.

So I’m starting a new recurring series on my Substack titled “Zoom in/Zoom Out.”

Basically, I’ll Zoom In on an issue that’s not getting talked about enough, and Zoom Out on a big story of the day to step back from the buzz and look at the bigger picture.

In my first post I discussed President Trump’s comments this week about Gaza and my perspective on the U.S. trade deficit breaking new records. You can click here to read it, and you can make sure to get this series directly in your inbox — as well as my monthly “Dear Mainer” letters — by subscribing to my Substack. On Elon Musk, government spending, and the new administration

Many of you have reached out this week to share your thoughts on actions by Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). I appreciate your outreach. I’ve spoken on this at some length (I’ve made sure there’s no paywall on that link), but I wanted to provide an update to you directly here.

Things are moving and changing fast, but there have been important questions raised about the level of access he and his team have had to sensitive government systems — and what they’re doing with it.

This week, the Courts moved quickly to block DOGE’s access to sensitive Treasury systems, and to limit the access available to DOGE-associated Treasury employees. This is the system working. The courts are the appropriate venue to resolve the many legitimate questions about DOGE’s actions, the separation of powers and disputes between Congress and the executive branch about the law. I expect the administration to follow the court order — and the law.

Continuing the fight to reopen the West Paris Post Office

Nearly four years after the West Paris Post Office was shuttered by the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), I continue to hear almost daily from constituents whose lives are made harder by the lack of a post office in West Paris. So I’ve renewed my push to get answers from Postmaster General Louis DeJoy about the plan to reopen it.

The USPS closed the former post office in 2021 when it said it needed to negotiate a new lease, but the agency finally signed one at a new location shortly after I reached out to the Postmaster General last summer. However, it’s been silence from postal officials since then — and folks are understandably frustrated by the 30 minute one-way drive that’s still required for many.

At bare minimum, residents deserve to know how much longer they have to wait for the return of basic mail services in their own community. With the Postal Service having already signed a new lease — the originally stated reason for the closure — it’s beyond time for the agency to show some real progress. I’ve written a new letter to the Postmaster General, and will keep you updated on the response. As always, I want to hear from you about these issues and others that are important to people in our district. Our offices are ready to listen to any suggestions, comments, ideas, or concerns you have. 

• Bangor Office: 6 State Street, Suite 101, Bangor ME 04401. Phone: (207) 249-7400
• Caribou Office: 7 Hatch Drive, Suite 230, Caribou ME 04736. Phone: (207) 492-6009
• Lewiston Office: 179 Lisbon Street, Lewiston ME 04240. Phone: (207) 241-6767
• Washington Office: 1107 Longworth HOB, Washington DC 20515. Phone: (202) 225-6306