The United States Postal Service’s new vehicle design began as an Internet joke for its odd shape, and now the House Oversight and Reform Committee now has demanded that the deal between the USPS and Oshkosh Defense be rescinded.
Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-New York), chairwoman of the Oversight Committee, sent a letter to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy asking that he release the USPS from the contract, citing that the fact that Postmaster General ignored the federal government’s requirements for the new vehicles.
The USPS’s new vehicles are required to incorporate electric powertrain engines, but the Oshkosh defense vehicles run on gasoline. A report also found that an “unknown party” purchased $54.2 million in Oshkosh stock the night before the USPS deal.
“These reports raise concerns about the Postal Service’s selection process and contract award for the Next Generation Delivery Vehicle program,” Maloney wrote to DeJoy. “A thorough review is warranted to ensure the award process is free from undue influence and potential interference.”
Following the committee’s findings, the House is moving forward on a bill that will formally require DeJoy and the USPS to make at least 75% of the new USPS fleet emit zero emissions, or be fully electric. DeJoy said in a press conference that only 10% of the Oshkosh vehicles would be zero emission.
