Thread: Reply from:Dianne Feinstein, United States Senator

March 22, 2007



Dear Mr. *******

Thank you for writing me to express your concerns
about allowing Mexican trucks to travel on highways in
the United States. I appreciate you taking the time to
write and I welcome the opportunity to respond.

The North American Free Trade Agreement
(NAFTA) mandates that all of North America be opened
to trucking competition including allowing Mexican and
Canadian trucks on United States roads and highways.
As you are aware, the Department of Transportation
recently established a pilot program that would expand
cross-border trucking operations with Mexico. This
program will allow both for U.S. truckers to make
deliveries in Mexico and Mexican truckers to make
deliveries in the United States.

Under the new one-year pilot program, the
Department of Transportation requires all Mexican
trucking companies be inspected to ensure that they
comply with U.S. safety regulations. Drivers must
comply with U.S. safety regulations, hold valid
commercial drivers licenses, prove that they are
medically fit, and comply with all U.S. hours-of-service
rules. They must also be able to understand questions
and directions in English. Only after they have fulfilled
all requirements and passed the in-person inspection will
they be allowed to drive in the United States.

I have serious concerns about the program and will
closely monitor the procedures the Department of
Transportation puts in place to inspect safety, protect air
quality, and screen for security threats.

Again, thank you for writing. Please know that I
share your concerns and I will work to ensure that U.S.-
foreign trade does not threaten the safety and health of
Californians. If you have any further questions or
concerns, please do not hesitate to contact my
Washington, D.C. office at (202) 224-3841.





Sincerely yours,

Dianne Feinstein
United States Senator

http://feinstein.senate.gov

Um, Dianne, you're dissembling again. regardless of what NAFTA mandates, we have managed to avoid allowing dangerous Mexican trucks on US highways for better than a decade since its signing. There is no reason whatsoever that we should open the highways to them now, particularly given that Mexico has still not provided satisfactory guarantee of compliance with US trucking standards.

Wonder how many Americans will be killed while she is monitoring the situation?

Next thing you know, the enforcement of these trucking standards will be ignored just like our immigration laws are ignored. Just like the virtual fence will be turned off or not watched at all once the border is claimed as being 'secured'. What we need are the Teamster drivers and to hell with NAFTA and a 2100 mile fence to boot.