WASHINGTON (Reuters) – FedEx Chief Executive Frederick Smith will testify before Congress on Wednesday as U.S. lawmakers begin a push for a massive hike in infrastructure spending and push toward electrification, congressional aides said Thursday.
The previously unreported testimony will come at a hearing before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
Representative Peter DeFazio, a Democrat who chairs the panel, said in a Reuters interview a massive infrastructure bill will create millions of new jobs and reduce carbon emissions. “We’re trying to make the business case — everybody else is going to go electric — you don’t have to believe in climate change,” DeFazio said.
Last week, FedEx said it planned to become carbon-neutral by 2040 and will invest $2 billion in vehicle electrification, sustainable energy, and carbon sequestration.
(Reporting by David Shepardson)