WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (D-MI), Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, released the following statement after convening a committee briefing with the Executive Director of the Next Generation Delivery Vehicle Program at the United States Postal Service, Victoria K. Stephen, to discuss efforts to modernize the Postal Service’s aging delivery vehicle fleet – including by acquiring electric vehicles:
“As we continue working to bring the Postal Service into the future, we must ensure they are acquiring modern vehicles that will keep postal workers safe while on the job. During today’s briefing, I continued to press the Postal Service to purchase more union-made, American-made and electric delivery vehicles as they continue to add more Next Generation Delivery Vehicles to their fleet.
“Electric vehicles are the future of the automotive industry, and American auto manufacturers and workers are leading the way in their development. Investing in electric vehicles and the charging infrastructure to power them will help make the Postal Service’s vehicle fleet more energy efficient and help reduce the cost of operating their vehicle fleet in the long run. I will continue to push for additional funding for electric postal vehicles to help further modernize the Postal Service. Acquisition of these vehicles should support good-paying manufacturing jobs for union workers in Michigan and across the country.”
As Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Peters has led efforts to modernize the Postal Service and protect their nearly 250-year tradition of reliable delivery. His historic, bipartisan legislation to set the United States Postal Service on a more sustainable financial footing and support the goal of providing long-term reliable service across the country was signed into law yesterday. In 2020, Peters championed legislation to secure a $10 billion direct payment to the Postal Service to help recover from pandemic-related losses. He also conducted an investigation into operational changes at the Postal Service in 2020 that resulted in significant delays. Following Peters’ investigation, the Postal Service reversed many of these changes and service has significantly improved.
###