Senator makes bid to block Mexican trucks
By Doug Palmer | September 10, 2007
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Congress could act quickly to block a new Bush administration pilot program allowing long haul Mexican trucks to operate anywhere in the United States, a U.S. senator said on Monday.
"My hope is the Senate will do as the House has done and we will put the brakes on the pilot program," Sen. Byron Dorgan, a North Dakota Democrat, told reporters.
Dorgan proposed an amendment denying funding for the one-year program, which was begun late last week.
He told reporters there were still too many unanswered questions about whether Mexican truck safety rules were as stringent as those in the United States.
The Senate is expected to vote on Tuesday on Dorgan's amendment. The House of Representatives passed similar legislation overwhelmingly in July.
During a brief Senate floor debate on Monday, Sen. Arlen Specter, a Pennsylvania Republican, expressed concern about the safety of the program and urged colleagues to approve the amendment.
"We do not want to impede legitimate commerce but safety is a very vital factor and there are good reasons to insist on safety and verification before we permit this pilot program," Specter said.
The United States and Mexico agreed as part of the North American Free Trade Agreement 13 years ago, during the Clinton administration, to permit expanded cross-border trucking.
REST RULES AND INSURANCE
Opponents say Mexican drivers do not have the same rest rules as U.S. truckers and could cross the border already fatigued. They are also concerned about licensing, insurance and drug testing.
Currently, Mexican trucks must transfer their goods at areas just inside U.S. border crossings. U.S. trucking companies, until now, have not been allowed to operate in Mexico.
The pilot program would be reevaluated toward the end of 2008 but U.S. officials expressed confidence in the safety protocols that Mexican carriers will have to follow.
Dorgan accused the Bush administration of rushing to implement the pilot program, just one hour after the Transportation Department inspector general's office issued a report required by Congress.
That report revealed too little is known about issues such as the driving records of Mexican truck drivers and whether they are adequately insured, Specter said. |
