Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ed Markey (D-MA), and Tom Carper (D-DE) today introduced an amendment to the Postal Service Reform Act of 2022 that would prohibit the United States Postal Service (USPS) from purchasing non-zero-emission vehicles. The USPS fleet makes up about one third of all government vehicles.
Last month, the EPA and the White House Council on Environmental Quality warned USPS that the agency’s current plan to replace its massive fleet with thousands of polluting gas-powered delivery vehicles does not comply with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act.
“The federal government has a responsibility to marshal its enormous purchasing power to lead the way on climate change,” said Whitehouse. “We have put astronauts on the moon. We have put rovers on Mars. We can put great new purpose-built electric vehicles at the Postal Service.”
Whitehouse has called for speedy approval of the two pending nominees to the USPS Board of Governors, citing an urgent need for a change in leadership at the agency. The nine-seat USPS Board of Governors has the sole authority to remove the Postmaster General, who was appointed by the previous administration. President Biden put forth two nominees in November, but they have not yet been confirmed, leaving the Board under the control of a Republican-appointed Chair.
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