Lawmakers open investigation into US Postal Service after death of Dallas mail carrier
DALLAS - A group of lawmakers launched an inquiry into the U.S. Postal Service after a Dallas mail carrier died in extreme heat.
Democratic Dallas Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett said they are hoping for changes, and quickly, with more dangerously hot weather ahead this summer.
Just days after burying her husband, Carla Gates is still seeking answers.
"I was so honored, just honored Blake, the love that people have spread for me," she said. "I don't wish this on anyone, anyone, to get that phone call...to get that phone call that your husband, your husband did not survive."
Last month, her husband, Dallas letter carrier Eugene Gates, collapsed during his route.
The 66-year-old was rushed to a hospital, where he later died.
A cause of death has still not been released, but his family believes heat is to blame.
Wife of USPS worker who died on the job awaiting autopsy results
Eugene Gates' wife says he always came prepared for the heat, bringing water, a cooler, tea and juice with him on the job. She says he always brought dedication to his work, oftentimes coming in early.
It happened during one of the hottest afternoons of the season, with heat index values well above 110 and near record humidity.
"He took precautions, I mean, he knew to take precautions," Carla said. "He was a professional for 36 years. He knew to prepare for whatever the condition of the weather was."
The incident, and others like it, have now helped spur a congressional investigation.
Congresswoman Crockett is leading a group of her colleagues on the House Oversight Committee in a letter sent Friday to the Postmaster General.
Congress questions Postmaster General after Dallas letter carrier dies during heat wave
The letter to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy asks questions about what the Postal Service is doing following the death of USPS worker Eugene Gates Jr., who collapsed on June 20 in Dallas during a stretch of extreme heat.
It points to incidents like the 2019 death of California mail carrier Peggy Frank, who was found dead in a non-air conditioned mail truck in high heat.
The letter poses questions like, how often have unions requested to adjust work hours' due to heat, and whether the Postal Service prioritizes repairing and replacing vehicles in areas with extreme heat?
"I absolutely believe that this is something that the U.S. House needs to take up, not just because of what happened in Dallas, in District 30, but because of what can foreseeably happen in other states that are heating up," Crockett said.
Crockett said she's not happy with answers she's received so far from the Postal Service about how and when it adjusts hours due to heat.
A week after Gates' death, workers were notified they would start working earlier, at 7:30 a.m.
"These aren't people that are signing up to fight fires or signing up to fight crime, where we know that there is an absolute danger when they sign up," Crockett said. "These are people that are literally just trying to work good, honest jobs. And the least that we can do in the federal government is make sure that the conditions in which they're working in are reasonable."
Carla said she's had a difficult time getting answers from the Postal Service, but she has hope.
"I just want my husband's legacy to not go in vain. I just want something to be done so no other family has to go through this," she added.
USPS officials would not confirm or deny details about time changes.