Thread: Alert!!!! Let's Get Behind This Now!!!

There is going to be a vote on a Transportation bill in the Senate today with an amendment that stops the Mexican trucks. It's similar to the one almost unanimously passed in House (3 nay votes) which was called the Safe American Roads Act of 2007.

We all need to get behind this bill and see that they pass it. However we need to make sure they have not sneaked some undesirables in it, so if anyone knows the contents of this transportation bill, please post it here.

I don't know the number of this bill yet, but will post it here when I find out.

Thanks for the info. I'll see what I can find also.

H.R.1773
Title: To limit the authority of the Secretary of Transportation to grant authority to motor carriers domiciled in Mexico to operate beyond United States municipalities and commercial zones on the United States-Mexico border.

Sponsor: Rep Boyda, Nancy E. [KS-2] (introduced 3/29/2007) Cosponsors (52)
Related Bills: H.R.1756
Latest Major Action: 5/16/2007 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
House Reports: 110-147
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY AS OF:
5/15/2007--Passed House amended. (There are 2 other summaries)

(This measure has not been amended since it was reported to the House on May 14, 2007. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

Safe American Roads Act of 2007 - (Sec. 2) Prohibits the Secretary of Transportation from granting a motor carrier domiciled in Mexico authority to operate beyond U.S. municipalities and commercial zones on the U.S.-Mexico border, except that the Secretary may carry out, in accordance with certain federal motor carrier safety and inspection laws and regulations and this Act, a pilot program that allows not more than 100 of such carriers, and not more than 1,000 of their vehicles, to operate beyond such municipalities and zones.

Prohibits the Secretary from implementing the pilot program until: (1) the Inspector General (IG) of the Department of Transportation (DOT) submits to Congress and the Secretary a report verifying that DOT is in compliance with provisions of the Department of Transportation and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2002 requiring compliance by motor carriers domiciled in Mexico with certain federal motor carrier safety and inspection laws and regulations and that DOT has established sufficient mechanisms to ensure compliance with such laws and regulations by Mexico-domiciled motor carriers who will operate beyond U.S. municipalities and commercial zones on the U.S.-Mexico border; (2) the Secretary takes necessary action to address any issues raised by the IG's report and submits to Congress a report on such actions; (3) there is a program in effect for U.S.-domiciled motor carriers to operate in Mexico beyond commercial zones on the U.S.-Mexico border; and (4) the Secretary publishes in the Federal Register, and provides opportunity for public comment on, certain aspects of the pilot program.

(Sec. 4) Requires the Secretary to: (1) establish an independent review panel to monitor and evaluate the pilot program; and (2) address any determination by the panel that the pilot program has had an adverse effect on motor carrier safety or terminate such program.

(Sec. 5) Requires the IG: (1) to monitor and review the pilot program; and (2) not later than 12 months, and not later than 18 months, after the initiation of the pilot program submit to Congress and the Secretary interim reports that include IG findings and certain safety determinations concerning such program.

Requires the Secretary, not later than 60 days after submission of the IG's 18-month interim report, to report to Congress on: (1) any actions the Secretary is taking to address motor carrier safety issues raised in the IG's interim reports; (2) the Secretary's evaluation of whether granting authority to additional motor carriers domiciled in Mexico to operate beyond U.S. municipalities and commercial zones on the United States-Mexico border would have any adverse effects on motor carrier safety; (3) modifications to federal motor carrier safety laws and regulations or special procedures necessary to enhance the safety of operations of motor carriers domiciled in Mexico in the United States; and (4) any recommendations for legislation to make the pilot program permanent or to expand operations of motor carriers domiciled in Mexico in the United States beyond municipalities and commercial zones on the United States-Mexico border.

(Sec. 6) Authorizes the pilot program for three years, except that if the Secretary does not comply with the requirements of this Act, such program terminates. Requires the Secretary, not later than 60 days after the termination of the pilot program, to submit to Congress a final report on such program.

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z ... D&summ2=m&

From what I understand, the Dorgan amendment stops the funding for the Mexican trucks which would kill it. This House version allows the trucks to come here if they meet the requirements, which they have not done. So if the Senate's bill is similar, it would only stall it, not kill it. I wasn't paying attention yesterday, so I didn't catch the debate. So, I guess what we need to do is get behind Dorgan's amendment.

Okay, I called Senator Crapo's office. The staffer assures me that this is a relatively clean bill. It's name is The Transportation & Housing & Urban Development & Related Agencies Appropriations Bill. Otherwise related to as THUD. The staffer assures me that there is no LaRaza funding in it and if anything is going to be added to it, it will happen with the Senate Amendments. The bill number that they are working from is H. R. 3074. Staffer was unsure of the Senate number. It could be S 1789.

So, we need to keep an eye on the Amendments today.

tinybob: another point to keep in mind is that the proposed amendments aim to pull funding for the pilot project - which would shut down the demonstration project which is scheduled to run for the next 12 months. After that...????

Did we notice that this applies to busses as well as trucks?

BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

The North American Free Trade Agreement (`NAFTA'), which took effect on January 1, 1994, removed restrictions on cross-border truck and bus service between the United States and Mexico. Since 1995, the opening of the U.S.-Mexico border to truck and bus traffic has been delayed due to concerns over whether opening the border would adversely impact safety on U.S. roads. As a result, commercial motor vehicles entering from Mexico have been restricted to operating in `commercial zones' along the border. These zones vary from three to 20 miles wide and are found in California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas.

Bilateral talks between the U.S. and Mexico continued until 2000, when the Government of Mexico requested the formation of an arbitration panel to review whether the U.S. was justified in maintaining this restriction on operations. The arbitration panel concluded in February 2001 that a blanket refusal to process any applications of Mexican motor carriers was a breach of the obligations of the United States under NAFTA. However, the panel found that the U.S. could impose more stringent requirements and safety standards on Mexico-domiciled operations.

In light of the findings of the arbitration panel, the Administration announced its plans to open the border to truck and bus traffic. This plan met with strong, bipartisan opposition in Congress, and on December 4, 2001, Congress passed the FY 2002 Department of Transportation and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (P.L. 107-87), which included a provision (Section 350) prohibiting the U.S. Department of Transportation (`DOT') from granting Mexico-domiciled motor carriers long-haul operating authority until a set of safety requirements had been met. Section 350 addressed vehicle, driver, and safety management requirements, including drug and alcohol testing, hours of service, driver qualifications, vehicle specifications and maintenance, and safety management practices. The Inspector General (`IG') of the Department of Transportation was required to review whether DOT was prepared to comply with eight specific provisions listed in subsection (c) of Section 350. However, independent verification that DOT is in compliance with all of the conditions set forth in the Appropriations Act was not required and has not occurred. In the initial and subsequent reviews of cross-border preparations, the IG identified a number of safety concerns.

On February 23, 2007, Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters announced a plan to grant authority to 100 motor carrier companies based in Mexico to conduct long-haul operations beyond the commercial zones as part of a one-year pilot program. The Secretary proposed to limit the pilot program to trucking companies, and to prohibit the participation of motor carriers that transport hazardous materials or passengers. The initiation of the pilot program followed an announcement that the two nations had reached agreement for U.S. inspectors to conduct safety audits on-site in Mexico. The Department viewed the ability to conduct on-site inspections, which were required by Section 350 of P.L. 107-87, as the final step to opening the border.

As the Department has disclosed to the Committee, this pilot program is intended as the first step to full opening of the border. This heightened concerns in Congress over DOT's preparedness to monitor program participants, and to hold motor carriers domiciled in Mexico to the same laws, regulations, and standards that govern U.S. commercial motor vehicle operations.

The Secretary's announcement raised additional questions about the authority under which the Department would carry out the pilot program, and whether DOT planned to implement this pilot program in accordance with established administrative procedures. Current law, enacted under the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA 21), requires DOT to meet certain standards when conducting a pilot program to `evaluate alternatives to regulations relating to, or innovative approaches to, motor carrier, commercial motor vehicle, and driver safety' (49 U.S.C. 31315). This provision places parameters on a pilot program, including a three-year time frame, sets standards for evaluation of safety impacts, and sets forth several requirements including public notification and a report to Congress. DOT has claimed that this provision does not apply to the proposed cross-border pilot program.

The pilot program is intended to include 100 U.S. carriers, who will be granted authority to operate in Mexico. While DOT has received nearly 900 applications from Mexico-domiciled carriers seeking operating authority in the U.S., very few U.S. firms have applied for cross-border authority. Further, the Mexican government is not ready to process the applications of U.S. firms, which would place U.S. carriers at a disadvantage. DOT has estimated that Mexico would not be able to process U.S. carrier applications for the first six months of the pilot program.

On April 30, 2007, the Secretary announced that DOT would delay implementation of the pilot program until U.S. motor carriers receive reciprocal operating authority for long-haul operations in Mexico. On the same day, DOT published notification in the Federal Register of its intent to implement a pilot program and provided a 30-day period for public comment.

http://link.toolbot.com/loc.gov/89779

We hope it will kill it, Phred.

I don't know if this amendment includes the buses because I didn't watch the debate on it yesterday.

bttt

If Mexico is granted permission for busses, you can bet those busses will be filled with "permanent tourists."