Thread: Mexican trucking program to be extended for two more years

Thanks Buzzm1 and others.

Here's a related press release from an OR Rep (DeFazio) that co-sponsored a recent bill to de-fund and shutdown the Pilot Project completely. I offer it here solely as an FYI on the topic. I think it is appropriate.

Oh, during the report on the subject, Kitty Pilgrim (sitting in for Dobbs) reported that the chair of the committee dealing with this bill (Oberstar-D, MN) said that when Congress returns in early September... "We will shut the program down for good".

DeFazio, Oberstar Call For Termination of Mexican Trucking Pilot Program | Print |

WASHINGTON, DC – Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Highways and Transit, Rep. James Oberstar (D-MN), Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Rep. John Mica (R-FL), Ranking Member on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and Rep. John Duncan (R-TN), Ranking Member on the House Subcommittee on Highways and Transit today stood up for the safety of Americans when they introduced H.R. 6630, legislation to stop the Department of Transportation (DOT) from fully opening the U.S. border to Mexican trucks.

"As we approach the end of the one year Mexican truck demonstration program, I have introduced bipartisan legislation that will terminate the program and force DOT to fully evaluate the results before it rushes to open the border. All along DOT has said this would be a one year pilot so I’m holding them to their word," DeFazio said. "DOT needs to look at how much this pilot has cost and the impact it has had on overall motor carrier safety. This Administration has been hell-bent on opening up our border but over the past year has failed to show they can adequately inspect Mexican carriers while also maintaining a robust U.S. safety inspection program. The safety of the traveling public must come first -- before the Administration's fantasies about free trade."

"When DOT insisted on moving ahead with a one-year pilot program, it disregarded Congressional objections and concerns over safety. Strong bi-partisan majorities in both the House and Senate tried to shut the program down, but DOT forged ahead, in violation of the spirit of the law and against the express will of Congress," Oberstar said. "The Secretary has said in very clear terms that DOT’s experiment would be limited to one year. This bill will ensure that the Administration keeps its word."

Last year, Secretary of Transportation Peters announced the Administration's intent to implement a one-year pilot program to allow up to 100 trucking companies from Mexico full access to U.S. highways. However, DOT has made clear from the beginning that at the conclusion of the one-year pilot the US-Mexico border will be permanently open to Mexican trucks without any analysis of the impacts of the program. For instance, while the demonstration program is supposed to terminate after one year, DOT issued provisional operating authority to pilot participants for 18 months.

There has been a strong bi-partisan Congressional objection to the program dating back to before the pilot began, stemming from Mexico’s less stringent regulations on hours-of-service, vehicle safety, and driver training and licensing. In May of 2007, the House voted overwhelmingly, 411-3, to pass H.R. 1773, the Safe American Roads Act of 2007, legislation that would have extended the pilot program to three years and ensured that DOT establishes a process to analyze the impact of allowing Mexican trucks on our nation's roadways, before the border is completely opened. Provisions were also included in the FY 2007 Iraq War Supplemental spending bill (P.L. 110-2 to impose strict measures to ensure that the pilot program adheres to safety and security guidelines and that its progress is assessed by an independent panel. And last July, the House approved an amendment offered by Rep. DeFazio to prohibit the use of federal funds to implement the pilot program. The amendment was offered to H.R. 3074, the FY 2008 Transportation-HUD Appropriations Act and was approved by a voice vote. Similar language was included in the final FY 2008 Consolidated Appropriations Act (P.L. 110-161), however, the Administration chose to ignore that language and continued with the pilot anyway.

"Given the record of DOT, without further Congressional action it can be assumed they will fully open the border to Mexican trucks without addressing significant safety concerns," DeFazio said. "This legislation is necessary for the protection of the traveling American public."


http://www.defazio.house.gov/index.php? ... iew&id=422

This should be an outrage to every American, and every truckdriver. These idiots have no respect for our laws or our constitution. They don't care to go through the steps, they just pass anything they want to.

Its the DOT they and Bush have it in that maggot filled pea brain of theirs to ignore congress and the people and open that border as quick as possible.....

Nobody has mentioned one of the trucks that came into this country last year packed with illegal aliens or drugs, that supposedly were inspected.

Why is this not being talked about in a time when we are suppose to be shutting down the border, and yet DOT wants to open border crossings to huge drug and flop houses for illegals on 18 wheels.

Border truck clash looms
By DAVID HENDRICKS Bloomberg News
Aug. 4, 2008, 9:28PM

BY THE NUMBERS

The cross-border trucking numbers to date:
• 10: U.S. carriers

• 27: Mexican carriers

• 2,245: U.S. carrier crossings into Mexico

• 1,272: Mexican carrier crossings in the U.S.

• 0: accidents/crashes

Source: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration announced Monday it will extend the U.S.-Mexico cross-border trucking test program until 2010.

However, a U.S. House committee last week approved a measure that seeks to end cross-border trucking upon the demonstration program's one-year anniversary Sept. 6.

Monday's announcement and the pending House resolution set up a possible congressional-White House showdown in September, when Congress reconvenes after its August recess.

John Hill, administrator of the federal motor carrier agency, said Monday the program has been a success so far, but more participation is needed before deciding whether cross-border trucking should become permanent. The experiment allows U.S. and Mexican carriers to deliver freight in the interiors of each other's countries without switching drivers and cabs at the border.

"A number of potential companies have been unwilling to invest the time and resources necessary to participate due to uncertainties concerning the project's longevity," Hill said in a statement. "We intend this extension to reassure trucking companies that they will have sufficient time to realize a return on their investment, and we anticipate additional participation with this extra time."

Hill said the legislation that let the cross-border trucking test program start for one year included a provision allowing a two-year extension. Hill said the project saves consumers money and cuts shipping costs.

Although Mexican long-haul carriers enrolled in the pilot project outnumber their U.S. counterparts, U.S. carriers to date have delivered almost twice as much freight into Mexico's interior than Mexican carriers have inside the United States, U.S. figures show.

Trucks transport about 75 percent of U.S.-Mexico trade.

Truck driver organizations, labor unions and highway safety groups have opposed cross-border trucking, citing competition and possible safety and security problems since 1995, when the practice was set to begin under the North American Free Trade Agreement.

The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association questioned the timing of the announcement, coming on the first day of Congress' recess.

"The administration has shown time and again that when it comes to this program, they are willing to run roughshod over Congress and the American public," Todd Spencer, the group's executive vice president, said in a statement.

In an interview Monday, Hill said safety has not been a factor so far. Federal inspectors have inspected about 5,000 long-haul Mexican trucks as part of the pilot project, and 9.2 percent have been placed out of service. The out-of-service rate for U.S. trucks is 22 percent, he said.

The Democratic-controlled Congress earlier tried to stop the cross-border trucking pilot project by prohibiting funding in the Transportation Department budget to start such a program. The Transportation Department, however, said the program already had started and continued it.

Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., called the extension a "reckless arrogance for the law" by the Bush administration.

"This dispute is about the administration's effort to allow long-haul Mexican trucks into this country in a way that I believe compromises safety on American roads," Dorgan said in a prepared statement. "We should not allow this program to continue."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/hea ... 24314.html

Bush team extends Mexican truck test
Waits until congressional opponents out of town to make announcement

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted: August 04, 2008
10:08 pm Eastern

© 2008 WorldNetDaily

A demonstration project allowing Mexican truck companies and their drivers to run on U.S roadways has been extended for two years by officials at the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration on the first day opponents in Congress were out of Washington for their August break.

"I am pleased with the success of our demonstration project, but the participation has been limited by the uncertainty of the project's longevity. A number of potential companies have been unwilling to invest the time and resources necessary to participate due to uncertainties concerning the project's longevity," FMCSA chief John Hill said in his announcement today which extended the pilot project for two more years.

"When the cat's away, the mice will play," said a statement from the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association. "The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration curiously chose the first day Congress is out of session for one month to announce a two-year extension of the unpopular cross-border trucking program."

The organization said it was not surprised and maintains the continuance of the program is in defiance of congressional directives "as well as existing laws and regulations."

"The administration has shown time and again that when it comes to this program they are willing to run roughshod over Congress and the American public," said Todd Spencer, OOIDA executive vice president. "Announcing this on the first day of the recess is unfortunately par for the course with them. Sorry for the cliché, but it's 'Bush league' tactics."

Norita Taylor, a spokeswoman for the truckers' group, said Congress previous forbade funding for such programs, but used the word "establish" in its directive. Federal administration officials noted the ban did not apply to the trucking program since already had been "established."

The truckers organization also has a lawsuit pending in federal court over the implementation of the program.

"OOIDA agrees with Congress, which has voted more than once to end the program, in its contention that the pilot program as conducted by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) does not comply with U.S. laws and regulations with regard to safety and security," the organization said.

"DOT has consistently bent over backwards to force this program on the public. They seem oblivious to the inherent safety and security risks of what they are trying to do,â€

Bush extends Mexican truck program
Miffed Democrats see move to defy Congress on recess
Tom Ramstack and S.A. Miller
Tuesday, August 5, 2008

The U.S. bound lanes on the World Trade Bridge are jammed with Mexican national truck drivers as they enter into the U.S. Customs station at the World Trade Bridge in Laredo, Texas (Rod A. Lamkey Jr. / The Washington Times)

Infuriated Democrats vowed Monday to kill a pilot program that gives Mexican trucks access to U.S. highways after the Bush administration - acting on the first day of Congress' summer recess - announced that it was extending the test project.

Rep. James L. Oberstar, chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, said the administration's maneuver was the latest attempt to flout the will of Congress on the matter, and said he will introduce legislation ending the program once and for all.

"When Congress reconvenes in September, I intend to have the full House of Representatives approve our bill as quickly as possible, and make certain that the voice of Congress is heard loud and clear at the Department of Transportation and that this program is finally shut down," the Minnesota Democrat said.

The committee approved a bill Friday to prohibit continuation of the program beyond its original end date of Sept. 6. That measure still requires a vote by the full House when lawmakers return in September.

John H. Hill, administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, said the Mexican truck program has been successful and deserves to be expanded. He said the program is designed to save consumers money by reducing shipping costs.

"We intend this extension to reassure trucking companies that they will have sufficient time to realize a return on their investment, and we anticipate additional participation with this extra time," Mr. Hill said. "The extension will ensure that the demonstration project can be reviewed and evaluated on the basis of a more comprehensive body of data."

Ten U.S. companies are participating in the program - an outgrowth of the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement that cut trade barriers among the United States, Mexico and Canada - running 55 trucks south of the border. Twenty-seven Mexican companies have joined the program, operating 107 trucks in the U.S. The program's terms permit up to 500 trucks from 100 Mexican motor carriers full access to U.S. roads.

U.S. truckers say the lower labor costs of Mexican drivers cut into their business and could result in job losses. They also say Mexican drivers and equipment are not held to the same high safety standards as their U.S. counterparts.

"How many lives do we have to risk on our highways before the Bush administration puts public safety ahead of the greed of multinational corporations looking to send more of our middle-class jobs to Mexico?" said James P. Hoffa, president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.

Mr. Hill said the program has demonstrated that complaints of opponents are unfounded.

"To date, the project has shown that U.S. and Mexican carriers can engage in cross-border trucking operations in compliance with applicable laws and with no compromise to public safety or security," he said.

Sen. Byron L. Dorgan, North Dakota Democrat, called the extension a "reckless arrogance for the law," and Mr. Oberstar, who led the push to stop the program last year, said it was "no coincidence" that the administration waited until the first day of Congress' recess to announce plans to extend the one-year project for another two years.
http://washingtontimes.com/news/2008/au ... k-program/

Hoffa Blasts DOT For Illegally Extending Cross-Border Pilot
Tuesday, 05 August 2008

Official Statement of Teamsters General President James P. Hoffa
Transportation Secretary Mary Peters, through her designated fall guy Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administrator John Hill, announced the Transportation Department’s intent to illegally extend the unsafe Mexican cross-border pilot program for an additional two years.

The blatant disregard that Peters, Hill and the Bush administration have shown to Congress, which has time and again expressed overwhelming opposition to this unsafe program, is outrageous. They have continued down this dangerous road that threatens American drivers and their families despite a federal law that bans funding for the program.
The federal law took effect on Dec. 26, 2007, yet the FMCSA claimed it did not understand its intent and refused to shut down the pilot project, which began shortly after Labor Day last year.

Congress will not let this lawlessness continue. Just last week, a bill sponsored by Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., was unanimously approved in the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee shutting down the illegal pilot program by Sept. 6.

The bill also prohibits the Transportation Secretary from granting authority to any Mexican trucks beyond the commercial zone, unless specifically authorized by Congress. This bill follows action by the Senate Appropriations Committee, which on July 10 approved an amendment banning any and all programs to open the border to long-haul trucks from Mexico.

With such overwhelming opposition to this reckless and illegal program, it is inexcusable that the DOT and Bush Administration continue to defy the will of the American people and flaunt the letter of the law. Mexican trucks and truck drivers are not held to the same high safety standards as their U.S. counterparts. How many lives do we have to risk on our highways before the Bush administration puts public safety ahead of the greed of multinational corporations looking to send more of our middle class jobs to Mexico?
http://www.borderfirereport.net/latest/ ... pilot.html

WHAT A MESS? CAN TRUCK MORE ILLEGALS INTO COUNTRY, TOO

SO WE HAVE UNTIL 1 SEPTEMBER 2008 TO INCREASE OUR NUMBERS TO HELP WITH THIS AND THE SENATE WILL BE GETTING THE E-VERIFY; WANT THEY?

HAVE THESE PEOPLE IN WASHINGTON LOSS THEIR KNOWLEDGE OF EDUCATING US ALL TO READ? -- THANK YOU VERY MUCH ON THAT ONE GOVERNMENT!

Thanks everyone for all the updates.......How nice to go to one thread and get all the latest news on a subject.

this is the most blatant disrespect for the laws of this land outside of illegal immigration, but on the scale to do the same horrific damage with time to our country and it's citizens.

Illegal immigration is in the mess it is in because we have too many people willing to flout the laws, do what they damn well please to obtain the objective they set out for this country, OPEN BORDERS, FREE MOVEMENT OF GOODS AND PEOPLE.

I hope this congress for once demands people obey the laws! Especially from Elected and appointed officials at all state, and federal levels. ENFORCE THE LAWS AND IT STARTS WITH CONGRESS!

Bush is such a sneaky traitor.

Wake Up Congress! Repeal NAFTA and all Free Trade Agreements before we have nothing left.