Rahall Working To Put The Brakes On Bush's Plan To Grant Access To Mexican Trucks

Press Release

Rahall Working To Put The Brakes On Bush's Plan To Grant Access To Mexican Trucks

As second-senior Democrat on the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, U.S. Rep. Nick Rahall, D-WV, applauded the Committee passage of legislation he is co-sponsoring that will place limits on the Bush Administration's plan to allow up to 100 Mexican trucking companies greater access to American roads.

"First and foremost, this is a matter of safety and security," Rahall said. "Mexican law does not have the safety guidelines in place that we have here in the United States. West Virginians commuting to and from work every day know the worries of sharing roads with large trucks, and they want us to do everything we can to keep our roads as safe as possible."

The legislation passed Wednesday hems in the Administration's broad plan by requiring a period of public notice and comment before the program could start. During this time, the Department of Transportation must publish a detailed description of the findings on safety audits, specific measures to protect health and safety of the public, measures enforcing the English language requirement for drivers, and penalties for violations of cabotage rules, among other issues.

The bill would also limit the duration of the program, would mandate comparable access to Mexico for American truckers, and would require an evaluation by the Transportation Department's Inspector General. An independent panel to monitor the pilot program would be put in place, and should the Department of Transportation uncover violations of United States law the authority for this pilot program would expire immediately.

Each year, more than 5,000 people are killed in large truck crashes, and more than 100,000 are seriously injured.

"This Administration brushes aside legitimate concerns for public safety in its eagerness to open our borders to streams of Mexican trucks," Rahall said.

Mexican trucks have only been allowed to travel about 25 miles beyond the border since 1982. A provision in the North American Free Trade Agreement allowed for the entire United States to be opened to Mexican trucks starting in 1995, but access has been delayed repeatedly over the years by congressional opposition and litigation.

"This plan is just one example of why, a decade ago, I voted against the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)," Rahall said. "It not only poses potential dangers to our citizens, but it also puts American jobs at risk."

The legislation now goes to the House of Representatives for a vote.

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