Ryan Introduces House Resolution Calling for Halt of USPS Contract

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Reps. Tim Ryan, D-13 Ohio, Marcy Kaptur, D-9 Ohio, and Jared Huffman, D-2 California, introduced a house resolution Tuesday calling on the Biden administration to halt a truck contract between the U.S. Postal Service and Oshkosh Corp.

The trio of legislators are seeking an investigation to ensure there was no inappropriate political influence in awarding the contract and that it is consistent with the president’s executive order to electrify the federal fleet.

The USPS announced in late February it would sign a 10-year deal with the Wisconsin-based company to assemble between 50,000 to 165,000 electric postal delivery vehicles.

The resolution is being introduced after Postmaster General Louis DeJoy announced during testimony before the House Oversight and Reform Committee only 10% of the new USPS fleet will be electric, despite Oshkosh offering an EV option.

News reports have also revealed suspicious stock trades ahead of the USPS-Oshkosh contract announcement, including a $54 million purchase of Oshkosh stock just hours before DeJoy announced the contract award, according to a release.

“It is far past time to bring the United States Postal Service into the 21st century,” Ryan said in a press release. “There is no question that electric is the future of the automotive industry. President Biden knows this, and that is why he signed an executive order to electrify our federal fleet.”

More than 141,000 vehicles in the postal fleet average just 10 miles per gallon, Ryan said.

Photo by Pope Moysuh on Unsplash

Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.