WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) today voted to block unsafe Mexican trucks from having free access to American roads. He also sent a letter to President Bush expressing his opposition to the proposal and urging the President to reconsider his decision to move forward with the program. Senator Casey was a cosponsor of the amendment that passed the Senate.
“Despite substantial congressional opposition, your Administration is moving forward with a pilot program to grant Mexican trucks from 100 transportation companies full access to U.S. highways,” Casey wrote.
In the letter Casey outlined his many reasons for his concern including a recent report issued by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Inspector General which states that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has “not developed and implemented complete, coordinated plans for checking trucks and drivers participating in the demonstration project as they cross the border.”
Casey wrote, “without such a verification system, it will be extremely difficult to ensure that drivers are property licensed and that trucks meet applicable safety standards.”
Senator Casey is a cosponsor of and voted for an amendment to the FY 2008 Transportation - Housing and Urban Development Appropriations bill that would cut off funds for implementing the program.
Full text of the letter is included:
Dear President Bush:
The purpose of this letter is to express my strong concerns about your Administration’s approval of a plan to permit long-haul Mexican trucks to transport goods throughout the United States. Thank you in advance for your consideration of my views.
The North American Free Trade Agreement sought to give Mexican commercial trucks access to four U.S. border states in 1995 and full access throughout the United States in 2000. Implementation of this plan has been delayed in large part due to significant concerns about the ability of Mexican trucks to meet U.S. safety and environmental standards.
Despite substantial congressional opposition, your Administration is moving forward with a pilot program to grant Mexican trucks from 100 transportation companies full access to U.S. highways. It is my understanding that this plan will likely permit approximately 25 Mexican firms to transport cargo north into our nation’s interior by the end of the month and will add another 25 per month until reaching 100 by the end of the one-year program. This plan will therefore potentially permit a total of 1,000 trucks to traverse the country. At this point, it is unclear whether this initiative will serve as a starting point for even more truck traffic beyond the amount envisioned by the pilot plan.
Moving forward with this plan is ill-advised in the face of a recent report issued by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Inspector General. This independent report found that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has “not developed and implemented complete, coordinated plans for checking trucks and drivers participating in the demonstration project as they cross the border.” Without such a verification system, it will be extremely difficult to ensure that drivers are property licensed and that trucks meet applicable safety standards. The report also indicates that Mexican databases are currently insufficient to provide accurate and timely information on accident reports, driver records, and vehicle inspection.
These developments are very troubling. In particular, I am concerned that this plan does not adequately protect the traveling public against unnecessary exposure to safety hazards. This policy also fails to take into account the environmental implications of increased truck traffic on our nation’s highways. Finally, I remain concerned that our nation’s overall trade policy, of which this plan is a part, fails to provide appropriate safeguards for the American worker, to ensure the safety of the American consumer, or to adequately protect the environment.
I respectfully urge you to reconsider this decision.
Sincerely,
Robert P. Casey, Jr.
United States Senator
