Congressional Republicans continue to try to end funding for all-electric US Postal Service fleet

Congressional Republicans are continuing their efforts to end Biden-era federal funding for the U.S. Postal Service to build an all-all-electric vehicle fleet.

In June, the Senate parliamentarian blocked a GOP effort to sell off existing electric vehicles and infrastructure belonging to the postal service and revoked the remaining EV funding, according to the Associated Press.

The scientific community has argued that the U.S. Postal Service using electric vehicles could reduce carbon emissions which play a role in global warming. 

GOP lawmakers have argued that the EV push is pointless, and the postal service should focus on delivering mail.

Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, called the EV federal funding issue a "textbook example of waste.” Critics say there have been long delays in getting the vehicles into service, while supporters say the timeframe was expected. 

“You always evaluate the programs, see if they are working," Ernst said at the Iowa state fair. "But the rate at which the company that’s providing those vehicles is able to produce them, they are so far behind schedule, they will never be able to fulfill that contract."

She intends to pursue legislation to rescind what is left of the $3 billion from the President Biden's Inflation Reduction Act allocated to help cover the $10 billion cost of new postal vehicles.