Lawmaker asks U.S. Postal Service to hand over vehicle contract

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The chair of the House Oversight and Reform Committee on Friday asked the US Postal Service (USPS) to release a contract it awarded Oshkosh Corp that could be worth $ 6 billion to build up to 165,000 next-generation delivery vehicles.

Some Democrats in Congress have criticized the USPS for awarding a 10-year, multi-billion dollar contract to Oshkosh Defense, a unit of Oshkosh Corp, to build a mix of gasoline and electric delivery vehicles instead of choose Workhorse Group Inc to build a fully electric fleet.

Representative Carolyn Maloney, a Democrat who chairs the committee that oversees the USPS, said, “A thorough review is warranted to ensure that the award process is free from undue influence and potential interference.”

She demanded that the USPS publish the final contract, all submitted offers, negotiation records and evaluation factors by March 26.

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy has pledged that at least 10% of the fleet will be electric vehicles, but he said in a letter Thursday that with government help, the USPS could pledge to make the majority of the fleet electric within 10 years. He added that the USPS needs about $ 8 billion to electrify the new fleet to the “maximum extent” possible.