Posted on 01/04/2008 2:48:57 PM PST by NormsRevenge
WASHINGTON - The Bush administration is going ahead with a controversial pilot program giving Mexican trucks greater access to U.S. highways despite a new law by Congress against it.
The decision to proceed with the four-month-old program, which allows participating Mexican trucking companies to send loads throughout the United States, comes despite language in the recently signed catchall spending bill aimed at blocking it.
But the Department of Transportation is taking advantage of a loophole in the new law, which prohibits the government from spending any money to "establish" the program. The government says the new rules don't apply to the current program since it was started in September.
"The U.S. Department of Transportation will not establish any new demonstration programs with Mexico," said Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration spokeswoman Melissa Mazzella DeLaney. "The current cross-border trucking demonstration project — established in September — will continue to operate in a manner that puts safety first."
Congressional opponents of the programs insist that it's clear what lawmakers were trying to do last year when both House and Senate voted against allowing the program to go forward.
The provision, as signed by President Bush last month, says: "None of the funds made available under this act may be used to establish a cross-border motor carrier demonstration program to allow Mexico-domiciled motor carriers to operate beyond the commercial zones along the international border between the United States and Mexico."
"They know what the law says," retorted Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., who won a 74-24 vote to block the program. "And they're not above the law." Dorgan warned they better follow the law.
The hotly contested program, opposed by labor, independent truck owners and environmental groups, permits up to 500 trucks from 100 Mexican motor carriers full access to U.S. roads.
Opponents have been fighting the measure — part of the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement — since it was first proposed, saying the program will erode highway safety and eliminate U.S. jobs. And they say that there are insufficient safeguards exist to make sure that Mexican trucks are as safe as U.S. carriers.
"When you open up U.S. highways to long-haul Mexican trucks without equivalent safety standards, it poses risks for American drivers," Dorgan said.
Supporters of the plan say letting more Mexican trucks on U.S. highways will save American consumers hundreds of millions of dollars. And they say U.S. trucking companies will benefit since reciprocal changes in Mexico's rules permit U.S. trucks new access to that country.
Since 1982, Mexican trucks have had to stop within a buffer border zone and transfer their loads to U.S. trucks.
Still, there's widespread opposition to the program within Congress. The House voted without a roll call in July to block the program and the Senate's 3-to-1 margin in September to block it came despite administration assurances that safeguards are in place to "ensure a safe and secure program."
The Teamsters Union, Sierra Club and Public Citizen joined together in a lawsuit filed in August seeking to block the program.
A hearing is scheduled for Feb. 12 before the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, Teamsters spokeswoman Leslie Miller said.
Sorry for the repeat.
Good analogy.
“Even a stopped clock is right twice a day, and if you have 1440 clocks . . . .”
That is insane. Gringo truck drivers aren't gonna roll into Mexico so Bush is talking about opening up Mexico for his illegal alien drivers.
Bush has total hostility for working people. He can't depress the wages of truck drivers through his usual means of flooding the US with poverty-laborers and he can't offshore their jobs, but Bush will find a way to screw you if you are the type who does an honest day's work.
Read my post 11. You are totally wrong on point. The United States MUST honor the NAFTA trade agreement. Congress does not have the constitutional authority to render this or any Treaty invalid.
Which is what their phony law may have been trying to do. Though I don’t even believe that is true, it’s more likely they needed to pass this law to show the UNIONS that they are still tere for them even though Clinton sold them out on NAFTA.
I do love the irony of all this.
Exactly WHEN did congress get the power to pass laws which invalidate U.S. Treaty agreements?
Answer: They don’t.
Bush IS following the law. Congress is passing phony unconstitutional laws. Now we know Bush doesn’t have a problem singing unconstitutional laws, but this is solely the FAULT OF NAFTA, not Bush.
NO THEY ARE NOT!!
The Teamsters are worried about union dues so they have tried to organize the Mexican truckers.
The Teamsters are TRAITOR!!
NO THEY ARE NOT!!
The Teamsters are worried about union dues so they have tried to organize the Mexican truckers.
The Teamsters are TRAITOR!!
Gheesh, when did America honoring it’s treaty agreements become to mean Bush hates working people?
I’m so tired of the ignorant BDS whining on this forum. We’ve become DU w/o the profanity.
Do any of you have the courage to admit that Ronald Reagan supported NAFTA before Bill Clinton? I seriously doubt it.
WHAT IS BUSH THINKING?????
WE the People of the United States of America do not want a North American Union. Why is that so hard for President Bush to comprehend???
BUSH is ruining the Republican Party single handedly.
The closest I’ve seen anyone get (and I’ve been arguing this issue here since my sign-up date) is their acknowledging that NAFTA was Reagan’s idea, but claiming he wouldn’t have supported its present form. Yeah, nonsense.
Good for Bush. He stood up to the Teamster thugs and their puppets in Congress.
If we discriminate against legal Mexican trucks, we must stop Canadians at the border
Nothing to see here, let’s move along to the latest “Pray for President Bush” or “Day in the Life of President Bush” thread. Oooh look, there’s Barney the dog! Aren’t you such a sweet little doggie, yes you are!
LOL—why don’t you head over there? Those threads function like bug-zappers.
I assume Tijuana. I assume photos. I assume blackmail. I assume a Mexican paternity case that was hushed up. I assume kickbacks. There has to be some reason why a President of United States of America loves Mexico and illegals MORE than his own country. Someone want to explain this guy’s actions to me?
I didn't think The Gipper would have realized that it would become the sovereignty-robbing agreement that it is now.
Uh no thanks, the Mods are like Eastwood with the zot gun thingy.
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