WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee called on the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) on Friday to release a $ 6 billion contract awarded to Oshkosh Corp. to build up to 165,000 vehicles. next generation delivery.
Some Democrats in Congress have criticized the USPS for awarding a $ 10 billion contract to Oshkosh Defense, a unit of Oshkosh Corp., to build a mix of gasoline-powered and electric vehicles instead of choosing Workhorse Group Inc. to to build a fully electric fleet.
Representative Carolyn Maloney, a Democrat who chairs the USPS oversight committee, said “a thorough review is needed to ensure that the award process is free of unwarranted influences and potential interference.”
She asked the USPS to release the final contract, all bids submitted, negotiation records and evaluation factors by March 26.
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy has pledged that at least 10 percent of the fleet will be electric vehicles, but said in a letter Thursday that, with government assistance, the USPS could commit to powering the majority of the fleet within 10 years. He added that the USPS needs about $ 8 billion to electrify the new fleet to the “maximum extent possible.”
Reporting by David Shepardson; edited by Jonathan Oatis