Lawmakers Introduce Bill to Recoup $3 Billion for USPS Electric Vehicle Fleet

Two top lawmakers from the DOGE Caucus are taking action to claw back $3 billion allocated under former President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, which was intended to fund an electric vehicle (EV) fleet for the United States Postal Service (USPS).

An investigation by the Washington Post revealed that a South Carolina defense contractor responsible for the 60,000-vehicle order was significantly behind schedule, with less than 100 vehicles delivered to USPS by November.

Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, chair of the DOGE Caucus, and Rep. Michael Cloud, R-Texas, are introducing the “Return to Sender Act” to reclaim approximately 30% of the total appropriation from Biden’s legislation, which was aimed at addressing inflation.

The initial plan was for the Postal Service to receive 50,000 EV delivery trucks from defense contractor Oshkosh within three years, but as of November, only 93 trucks had been produced.

Concerns Over Delayed Deliveries and Rising Costs

A source involved in the production process admitted to the Washington Post that there were challenges in building the trucks, stating, “We don’t know how to build a damn truck.” Additionally, the contractor raised prices, leading to increased costs for the government.

The agreement between the Postal Service and Oshkosh resulted in a cost of $77,692 per EV truck for around 28,000 vehicles. While the contractor expressed satisfaction with the project progress, concerns over delays and rising costs prompted Ernst and Cloud to introduce their bill.

“Biden’s EV postal fleet is lost in the mail,” remarked Ernst, emphasizing the need to cancel the order and return unspent funds to taxpayers. Cloud criticized the Inflation Reduction Act for funneling billions into a failed project plagued by delays and escalating expenses.

Legislation to Address Wasteful Spending

The “Return to Sender Act” aims to reclaim the wasted $3 billion in taxpayer funds allocated for the USPS EV project. Ernst previously introduced the Billion Dollar Boondoggle Act, targeting transparency in government projects exceeding $1 billion and falling behind schedule.

The bill specifically rescinds unobligated balances from the Inflation Reduction Act, effectively repealing the sections related to the EV fleet funding. Ernst and Cloud are committed to stamping out wasteful spending and holding government projects accountable for delays and cost overruns.

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