Thread: Congress halts Mexican trucks in U.S.

PREMEDITATED MERGER

Congress halts Mexican trucks in U.S.

Funding bill includes measure killing controversial Bush project

Posted: March 11, 2009
11:45 am Eastern

By Jerome R. Corsi
© 2009 WorldNetDaily


Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D.

The $410 billion omnibus funding bill headed toward President Obama's desk for signing contains a carefully worded measure that would shut down the Bush administration demonstration project allowing 100 Mexican trucking companies to run their long-haul rigs throughout the U.S. in direct competition with American truckers.

The issue became rancorous over the past two years as Bush administration Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters fought off repeated efforts by Congress to confine Mexican trucks to a narrow 20-mile-wide commercial area north of the southern border.

In what appears to be a major victory for Teamster boss James Hoffa, the Obama administration worked closely with Senate Democrats, including Sen. Byron Dorgan of North Dakota to toughen up language of an amendment Dorgan successfully had inserted in the DOT fiscal year 2008 appropriations bill.

Keeping Mexican trucks south of the border appears to be a reward to organized labor for its support of Obama's presidential campaign last year.

The move comes as a blow to free trade advocates in the Republican Party that have pushed hard for new ways to open the Mexican border for increased opportunities between the two countries.

"The driving public is put at risk when trucks from Mexico that don't meet U.S. standards are allowed to roam our highways," Hoffa said in a statement. "The Mexican government has not held up their end of the bargain to meet U.S. standards."

Hoffa said Mexican trucks are "unsafe and Mexican drivers are not required to meet the same criteria that American drivers must meet to earn a commercial drivers license." Hoffa said.

"It's long past time to close the border to these unguided missiles," he said.

WND reported that after the truck project begun, an examination of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration database revealed hundreds of safety violations by Mexican long-haul rigs rolling on U.S. roads under the project.

Opponents of the project have contended that Mexican trucks and truck drivers do not reliably meet U.S. standards.

As WND reported, in a contentious Senate hearing last March, Dorgan in tight questioning got Peters to admit that Mexican drivers were being designated at the border as "proficient in English" even though they could explain U.S. traffic signs only in Spanish.

In the tense hearing, Dorgan accused Peters of being "arrogant" and recklessly disregarding a congressional vote to stop the Mexican project by taking funds away.

As WND reported, opposition in the House was led by Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., who in September 2007 accused the Bush administration of having a "stealth plan" to allow Mexican long-haul rigs on U.S. roads.

"This administration [of President George W. Bush] is hell-bent on opening our borders," DeFazio said, "but has failed to require that Mexican drivers and trucks meet the same safety and security standards as U.S. drivers and trucks."

Previously, Peters had argued the wording of the Dorgan amendment did not prohibit the Transportation Department from stopping a Mexican truck project already underway, even if the measure prohibited DOT from starting any new project.

Despite strong congressional opposition, the Department of Transportation under President Bush had announced it planned in its final months to extend the truck project for another two years – an attempt to force the incoming Obama administration to comply.

The restrictions passed in the Omnibus Funding Bill will limit Mexican trucks to a 20-mile commercial zone north of the Mexican border, except in Arizona, where the limit is 75 miles.

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added to the homepage

http://www.alipac.us/article4033.html

with note

ALIPAC NOTE: Many thanks to all the ALIPAC Activists that have been fighting against the Mexican truck initiative launched by Bush for almost a year now. Keep up the citizen pressure!

Thank God, Thank God, Thank God!!

Outstanding!

I thought I heard last night that while Obama did reverse Bush's executive order he then turned around and signed a new bill for US/Mexico border trucking which makes the unions happy I believe it was on CNN last night. So it appears it was mere publicity.

2 steps forward, 3 steps back.

From LOU DOBBS TONIGHT:

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/ ... dt.01.html

Aired March 11, 2009 - 19:00 ET


The Obama administration today saying it wants to create a new cross-border trucking program with Mexico. This just had to come. The announcement coming just moments after the president signed a bill that effectively killed the first cross-border program, which allowed some Mexican trucks unlimited access on American highways. The cross- border trucking program has been under fire since its creation by the Bush administration in the dark of night in 2007. Critics continue to contend the program will cost American jobs and creates, at the same time, a significant national security threat.

So Obama is a North American Union Open Border Globalist. I figured as much but hopefully Americans will "Just Say No".

Originally Posted by Judy

hopefully Americans will "Just Say No"

Just saying no ain't gonna be enough this time around...we will need more forceful strategies!

Originally Posted by carolinamtnwoman

From LOU DOBBS TONIGHT:

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/ ... dt.01.html

Aired March 11, 2009 - 19:00 ET


The Obama administration today saying it wants to create a new cross-border trucking program with Mexico. This just had to come. The announcement coming just moments after the president signed a bill that effectively killed the first cross-border program, which allowed some Mexican trucks unlimited access on American highways. The cross- border trucking program has been under fire since its creation by the Bush administration in the dark of night in 2007. Critics continue to contend the program will cost American jobs and creates, at the same time, a significant national security threat.

Thanks for posting that Carolina..I knew I heard it.

Originally Posted by carolinamtnwoman

Originally Posted by Judy

hopefully Americans will "Just Say No"

Just saying no ain't gonna be enough this time around...we will need more forceful strategies!

True, I agree with you.