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U.S. NEWS Tuesday 15 March 2022
House Dems seek probe of USPS plan for new mail truck fleet

WASHINGTON (AP) — Dem- received the letter Monday
ocrats on the House Over- and was reviewing it.
sight Committee are seek- The Postal Service award-
ing an investigation into ed Oshkosh Defense a con-
a U.S. Postal Service plan tract worth up to $11 billion
to replace its aging mail over 10 years to replace its
trucks with mostly gasoline- 230,000-vehicle fleet. The
powered vehicles. company has said it will
The plan largely ignores make the Next Genera-
White House calls to replen- tion Delivery Vehicles at a
ish the mail-service fleet reconfigured warehouse
with electric vehicles and in South Carolina, creating
has drawn sharp criticism 1,000 new jobs.
from the Biden administra- The Postal Service said last
tion, Democratic lawmak- month that it believes it has
ers and environmentalists, met all its obligations and
who say it falls far short of is moving forward despite
President Joe Biden's goals widespread criticism.
to address climate change. The agency "carefully re-
In a letter Monday, Dem- viewed and incorporated
ocrats on the oversight feedback" from EPA and
panel asked the agency's the White House regard-
inspector general to inves- ing the new contract and
tigate whether the Postal believes "there is no legal
Service complied with the In this Aug. 18, 2020, photo, mail delivery vehicles are parked outside a post office in Boys Town, or other basis to delay the
National Environmental Neb. (vehicle-replacement) pro-
Policy Act and other laws Associated Press gram," said spokeswoman
when awarding a 10-year Kim Frum.
contract to Wisconsin- stakeholders" have raised identified by EPA and the man of a subcommittee on The new contract will de-
based Oshkosh Defense to concerns that the Postal White House, "it is critical government operations. liver 5,000 electric vehicles
supply up to 165,000 new Service did not meet its that Congress understand The lawmakers said they beginning in 2023 and "pro-
mail trucks. NEPA obligations in issuing whether the Postal Service strongly support purchase vides significant environ-
Only 10% of the initial order the contract, the lawmak- properly met its statutory of electric vehicles for the mental benefits through
will be for EVs; the remain- ers said in a letter to Tammy environmental obligations," Postal Service fleet, saying the introduction of safer
ing 90% will use traditional Whitcomb, the Postal Ser- the lawmakers wrote. it would "significantly cut and more environmentally
gasoline-powered engines. vice inspector general. The letter is signed by five emissions and position the friendly vehicles,'' Frum said.
The Environmental Protec- "Given the substantial Democratic lawmakers, Postal Service as an envi- Flexibility built into the con-
tion Agency, the White public interest in this ac- including Rep. Carolyn ronmental leader" in the tract allows for more elec-
House Council on Envi- quisition and the signifi- Maloney of New York, the U.S. tric vehicles "should ad-
ronmental Quality and cant deficiencies" in the panel's chair, and Gerry A spokeswoman said the ditional funding become
"numerous environmental environmental analysis Connolly of Virginia, chair- inspector general's office available,'' she added.q

Zelenskyy to deliver virtual address to U.S. Congress

By LISA MASCARO Associ- when they spoke at the be delivered via video at
ated Press end of last week, and law- the U.S. Capitol. It comes
WASHINGTON (AP) — Ukrai- makers are "thrilled" to have as Congress recently ap-
nian President Volodymyr him address Congress. proved $13.6 billion in emer-
Zelenskyy will deliver a virtu- The talk comes as the Ukrai- gency military and humani-
al address to the U.S. Con- nians are fighting for their tarian aid for Ukraine.
gress as the Russian war on country's survival in the Biden is expected to sign a
his country intensifies. escalating war as Russian big spending bill contain-
Zelenskyy will speak President Vladimir Putin in- ing Ukraine aid into law on
Wednesday to members of tensifies his assault, includ- Tuesday.
the House and Senate, the ing airstrikes on the capital During Pelosi's call last
Democratic leaders an- Kyiv. Civilians in Ukraine are week, Zelenskyy said his
nounced. The event will be taking up arms to hold back country would need help
livestreamed for the public. Putin's regime, but the war rebuilding from the war.
"It's such a privilege to have has launched a mass exo- "We have to do more in
this leader of this country, dus of more then 2 million terms of meeting the needs In this image from video provided by the Ukrainian Presidential
Press Office and posted on Facebook early Saturday, March 12,
where these people are people from Ukraine. of some of the 2.7 million 2022, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks in Kyiv,
fighting for their democ- "The Congress, our country refugees," she said. Ukraine.
racy and our democracy," and the world are in awe of She said of the Ukrainians: Associated Press
House Speaker Nancy Pe- the people of Ukraine," said "They're fighting for democ-
losi said Monday during Pelosi and Senate Majority racy writ large." as they face Putin's cruel fend democracy."
an event at the Brooklyn Leader Chuck Schumer in In their statement Monday, and diabolical aggression." Zelenskyy spoke by video
Bridge with New York law- a statement Monday an- the congressional leaders Pelosi and Schumer said with House and Senate law-
makers. nouncing the address. said Congress "remains un- they intend "to convey our makers earlier this month,
Pelosi said that Zelenskyy They said all lawmakers are wavering in our commit- support to the people of delivering a desperate
asked for the meeting invited to the talk that will ment to supporting Ukraine Ukraine as they bravely de- plea for more military aid.q