WASHINGTON — Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett (TX-30) announced that Lancaster resident Carla Gates, widow of the late USPS mail carrier Eugene Gates, would be accompanying her as a guest to President Biden’s State of the Union speech to Congress on March 7, 2024.
Carla Gates has been a passionate advocate for federal action and improved worker protections at USPS in response to the death of her husband, who passed away while delivering mail in Dallas during extreme heat in June 2023.
Following Mr. Gates’ death, Congresswoman Crockett sent multiple letters calling on USPS to to investigate the heat mitigation measures in place prior to Mr. Gates death. On December 14, 2023, Rep. Crockett received a response from USPS stating in part that new, air-conditioned vehicles were on the way to USPS workers in Texas, but the letter provided no timeline and did not respond to other concerns. On December 19, 2023, Congresswoman Crockett, Ranking Member Jamie Raskin, and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Government Operations and the Federal Workforce Kweisi Mfume led House Oversight Committee Democrats in a letter to Chairman James Comer calling him to hold a hearing on USPS worker protections and the impacts of extreme heat on federal workers. Rep. Comer has yet to respond.
“In a moment of unspeakable pain and loss, Carla stood up to call for action to protect the lives of Eugene’s friends and colleagues in the U.S. Postal Service,” said Rep. Crockett. “She has demonstrated incredible courage and strength, and it is past time that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle drop the politics and use their positions to improve worker protections for those like Eugene, forced to endure extreme temperatures day in and day out. While Carla is in Washington, I am asking Oversight Committee Chairman Comer to meet with us to discuss the conditions that contributed to Eugene Gates’ death and respond to our call for a hearing on measures to protect the safety and welfare of federal employees at USPS.”
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Rep. Crockett and Carla Gates discussed the need to shine a national spotlight on Mr. Gates’ death and continue pushing for improved worker protections. Click to watch the interview below.
