Government affairs

Today, Rep. Jared Huffman (D-CA) introduced the Federal Leadership in Energy Efficient Transportation or FLEET Act (H.R. 6991) along with four other Democratic cosponsors. The bill seeks to modernize the U.S. Postal Service’s aging fleet of Long Life Vehicles (LLVs).

The bill mirrors the language of previous legislation introduced by Rep. Huffman in the 114th Congress, which failed to progress out of committee. The legislation offers USPS an opportunity to save money while reducing its vehicles’ impacts on the environment. It would provide letter carriers a more efficient vehicle that both meets Postal Service demands and would better accommodate USPS' booming package delivery service.

Most LLVs in service are between 20 to almost 30 years old with an average fuel economy of about 9-10 miles per gallon. A new, more fuel-efficient fleet would reduce the daily impact on the environment as well as free up funds that would otherwise be spent on gasoline.

NALC will continue to monitor the legislation as the 115th Congress approaches the end of its term.