MODERNIZING THE POSTAL SERVICE MUST ADDRESS THE CLIMATE CRISIS
Congress cannot allow DeJoy’s improper and unlawful contract to replace Post Office vehicles with gas guzzling trucks to undermine Biden’s climate policy.
QUICK READ: President Biden has promised to cut greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030. This requires electrifying the government’s vehicle fleet. Since USPS trucks constitute 1/3 of the fleet, DeJoy’s award of a contract replacing its 30-year-old fleet largely with gas guzzling trucks cannot go forward. After restoring the USPS’ solvency, Congress must investigate this travesty.
TAKE ACTION NOW:
BACKGROUND
Biden’s election has not brought relief to the United States Postal Service (USPS). It’s still being run by Trump’s lackey Louis DeJoy, whose 10-year cost-cutting plan—closing post offices, slowing service, and raising prices—is creating a two-tier system where the affluent use private competitors and the less fortunate pay more for less.
His latest ploy—replacing USPS’ 30-year-old fleet largely with gas guzzling trucks, rather than electric vehicles—completely undercuts Biden’s ability to electrify the government’s vehicle fleet (1/3 of which are USPS trucks) and cut greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030.
That DeJoy awarded the contract and advanced payment, before completion of a flawed environmental review, also violated Council on Environmental Quality regulations.
This week the House will vote on the Postal Service Reform Act, repealing the requirement that USPS prepay future retirement health benefits—the major source of its losses. The Senate should pass its version shortly thereafter.
Removing this requirement restores USPS’ solvency, negating the need for DeJoy’s cost-cutting plan and this improper contract.
Upon its passage, Congress must fully investigate DeJoy’s behavior and the Postal Commission’s lack of leadership. This might compel Biden’s replacement of those commissioners supporting DeJoy’s policies—and possibly his ouster.
ACTION One: Call the Senate.
Script for Oregon Senators
SEN. MERKLEY: Portland office: 503-326-3386 | D.C. office: 202-224-3753
My name is [--] and I'm a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
(Messages and calls are most effective if they are personal. Scripts are here to help.)
Thank you for demanding that the United States Postal Service and its Board of Governors commit to the President’s plan to electrify its mail delivery fleet, but more needs to be done. I urge you to:
- Work for the swift passage of the Postal Service Reform Act (S.1720) which will make the Post Office solvent again,
- Add an amendment awarding $6 billion for its purchase of electric trucks that was contained in BBB,
- Call for an investigation of DeJoy’s behavior in awarding this improper contract and the Postal Commission’s lack of responsible leadership.
SEN. WYDEN:
Portland office: 503-326-7525 | D.C. office: 202-224-5244
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
(Messages and calls are most effective if they are personal. Scripts are here to help.)
Thank you for demanding that the United States Postal Service and its Board of Governors commit to the President’s plan to electrify its mail delivery fleet, but more needs to be done. I urge you to:
- Work for the swift passage of the Postal Service Reform Act (S.1720) which will make the Post Office solvent again,
- Add an amendment awarding $6 billion for its purchase of electric trucks that was contained in BBB,
- Call for an investigation of DeJoy’s behavior in awarding this improper contract and the Postal Commission’s lack of responsible leadership.
Script for Republican Senators
D.C switchboard: 202-224-3121
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], [state], [zip code].
(Messages and calls are most effective if they are personal. Scripts are here to help.)
S.1720 (the Postal Service Reform Act) is a bipartisan bill pending in the Senate to restore the Postal Service’s solvency. I expect you to support this legislation. I also expect you to support efforts to electrify the Postal Service’s aging fleet, which will allow your constituents to breathe cleaner air and will slow down the harmful effects of climate change.
ACTION TWO: Call the House.
Script for Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01)
Oregon office: 503-469-6010 | DC office: 202-225-0855
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
(Messages and calls are most effective if they are personal. Scripts are here to help.)
The House is expected to vote this week on HR. 3076 (the Postal Service Reform Act), a bipartisan bill to restore its solvency. Please work for its swift passage. I am also asking that you actively support the President’s plan to electrify the Postal Service’s mail delivery fleet, by adding $6 billion for the purchase of electric vehicles which was contained in BBB and by calling for an investigation of Postmaster-General DeJoy’s improper behavior in awarding a contract to modernize its fleet with largely gas-guzzling vehicles rather than electric ones.
Script for Cliff Bentz (OR-02)
Medford office: 541-776-4646 | DC office: 202-225-6730
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
(Messages and calls are most effective if they are personal. Scripts are here to help.)
HR.3076 (the Postal Service Reform Act) is a bipartisan bill pending in the House to restore the Postal Service’s solvency. I expect you to support this legislation which will greatly benefit your constituents. I also expect you to support efforts to electrify the Postal Service’s aging fleet, which will allow your constituents to breathe cleaner air and will slow down the harmful effects of climate change.
Script for Earl Blumenauer (OR-03)
Oregon office: 503-231-2300 | DC office: 202-225-4811
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
(Messages and calls are most effective if they are personal. Scripts are here to help.)
The House is expected to vote this week on HR. 3076 (the Postal Service Reform Act), a bipartisan bill to restore its solvency. Please work for its swift passage. I am also asking that you actively support the President’s plan to electrify the Postal Service’s mail delivery fleet, by adding $6 billion for the purchase of electric vehicles which was contained in BBB and by calling for an investigation of Postmaster-General DeJoy’s improper behavior in awarding a contract to modernize its fleet with largely gas-guzzling vehicles rather than electric ones.
Script for Peter DeFazio (OR-04)
Eugene office: 541-465-6732 | DC office: 202-225-6416
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
(Messages and calls are most effective if they are personal. Scripts are here to help.)
The House is expected to vote this week on HR. 3076 (the Postal Service Reform Act), a bipartisan bill to restore its solvency. Please work for its swift passage. I am also asking that you actively support the President’s plan to electrify the Postal Service’s mail delivery fleet, by adding $6 billion for the purchase of electric vehicles which was contained in BBB and by calling for an investigation of Postmaster-General DeJoy’s improper behavior in awarding a contract to modernize its fleet with largely gas-guzzling vehicles rather than electric ones.
Script for Kurt Schrader (OR-05)
Salem office: 503-588-9100 | DC office: 202-225-5711
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
(Messages and calls are most effective if they are personal. Scripts are here to help.)
The House is expected to vote this week on HR. 3076 (the Postal Service Reform Act), a bipartisan bill to restore its solvency. Please work for its swift passage. I am also asking that you actively support the President’s plan to electrify the Postal Service’s mail delivery fleet, by adding $6 billion for the purchase of electric vehicles which was contained in BBB and by calling for an investigation of Postmaster-General DeJoy’s improper behavior in awarding a contract to modernize its fleet with largely gas-guzzling vehicles rather than electric ones.
ACTION 3: “GOOD TROUBLE”
Below are opportunities to fight for our democracy. As John Lewis said, make some “good trouble.”
Join Indivisible Oregon.
Join the fight to reform the Supreme Court by volunteering with Demand Justice,
Learn about persuasive language and communication research at the Zoom ASO Movement Briefings every second Wednesday.
Join the campaign to hold the House and Senate at GiveNoGround.org
Work to protect democracy in the House by replacing retiring US Representative Peter DeFazio with another Democrat, replacing Democrat Kurt Schrader, the “Manchin of the House,” with a progressive, and electing a Democrat in Oregon’s new Congressional District 6.
Demand your primary news source stop creating false equivalencies and just report the truth.
Check out the Poor People's Campaign Readies 'Massive, Nonviolent' Effort to Save Democracy
Outside of Portland? Check out COIN Oregon.
Center for Common Ground is starting new Reclaim Our Vote campaigns: TEXAS Primary is First! Writing to 730,000 Black registered voters in Texas, urging them to vote in the upcoming March 1st Primary. Only 1 in 25 Texas voters participate in primaries. Postcards For Texas with Center for Common Ground. And phone banks!
Fridays at 4 - Letter and Postcard Writing — Indivisible Oregon.
FURTHER READING:
Fury as Louis DeJoy defies Biden Administration on electrifying Postal Service truck fleet
Biden officials push to hold up $11.3 billion USPS truck contract, citing climate change
The Post Office Is Buying Gas-Powered Trucks, Despite Biden Climate Order
Effort Underway to Oust USPS Head DeJoy Over Failure to Electrify Vehicles
The fight to oust Louis DeJoy and his ‘disastrous’ austerity plan
