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September 12, 2007
Senate Votes to Kill Mexican Truck Demo
Senate votes to kill Mexican truck demo The U.S. Senate has dealt a likely death blow to the Bush administration plans to give Mexican long-haul trucking rigs free access to United States roads and highways. A bi-partisan majority voted 74-24 tonight to pass an amendment offered by Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., to remove funding from the Fiscal Year 2008 Department of Transportation appropriations bill for the Department of Transportation Mexican trucking demonstration project. Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Penn., joined Dorgan as a co-sponsor of his amendment. Tonight's vote is a vote for safety," Dorgan said. "It also represents a turning of the tide on the senseless, headlong rush this country has been engaged in for some time, to dismantle safety standards and a quality of life it took generations to achieve." Teamster General President Jim Hoffa praised the Senate for "slamming the door on the Bush administration's illegal, reckless plan to open our borders to trucks from Mexico." A counter amendment offered by Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, was submitted in an effort to keep the Mexican truck demonstration project alive, even if on life support. Cornyn had proposed to allow the demonstration project to go forward, while reserving the right of the Senate to pull the plug if safety problems developed in the initial phases of the program roll-out. Cornyn's proposal was killed by a strong bi-partisan 80-18 vote to table his amendment. Repeatedly, in arguing from the floor of the Senate for his amendment, Cornyn mischaracterized NAFTA as having created a "treaty obligation" requiring the United States to allow Mexican trucks free access to U.S. roads. Dorgan objected, pointing out that NAFTA was passed in 1993 as a law, not a treaty. The vote, taken on the evening of the sixth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, represented a strong sentiment in the Senate that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and the DOT inspector general had failed to make the case in their eleventh hour reports submitted to Congress late last Thursday that adequate inspection procedures were in place to insure that Mexican trucks would meet U.S. safety standards. Speaking in favor of Dorgan's amendment, Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, said the issue really was "free trade" agreements advanced by the Bush administration that advantaged only the multi-national corporations. Brown compared the safety concerns of allowing Mexican trucks to enter freely into the United States with the safety risks raised by lead paint use by the Chinese on imported toys and Chinese pet and human food that contained poisonous or otherwise toxic elements. In May, the House of Representatives passed the Safe American Roads Act of 2007 (H.R. 1773), by an overwhelming, bipartisan 411-3 margin. The majority in the House opposing the DOT Mexican trucking demonstration project makes almost certain that the Dorgan amendment will survive when a conference committee reviews the DOT funding bill that will go to President Bush for his signature. The trucking program allows up to 100 Mexican carriers to send their trucks on U.S. roadways for delivery and pickup of cargo. None can carry hazardous material or haul cargo between U.S. points. So far, the Department of Transportation has granted a single Mexican carrier, Transportes Olympic, access to U.S. roads after a more than decade-long dispute over the NAFTA provision opening up the roadways. One of the carrier's trucks crossed the border in Laredo, Texas last week and delivered its cargo in North Carolina on Monday and was expected to return to Mexico late this week after a stop in Decatur, Ala. Wild Thing's comment........ It's a real shame that it took the Democrats to block what never should have been proposed. I’m amazed that Arlen magic bullet Specter cosponsored this bill. He was a big supporter of amnesty. Maybe he heard some angry words from his constituents! I think the Senate fools know they are under the microscope with their ratings in the toilet. Half of them are traitors to America, no matter what, and the other half have one slippery foot on their proverbial political term-less careers. This is a big win FOR THE AMERICAN CITIZEN. I am not going to drop my guard. It is a very long way to a respectable Senate that can be trusted with the REAL America. The two aggravating things about this amendment are: * First, the list of co-sponors, and * Second, the list of Senators voting NAY or not voting: S.AMDT.2797 COSPONSORS(6): Sen Clinton, Hillary Rodham [NY] - 9/10/2007 Senators voting NAY: Allard (R-CO) Not Voting - 2 Craig (R-ID) Posted by Wild Thing at September 12, 2007 12:50 AM
It certainly is. Posted by: Lynn at September 12, 2007 04:56 AM
This is great that the Mexican trucks have been stopped. We don't need them. The American people don't want them. It is a shame that the Democraps and a RINO took the lead on this. I am also shamed that both my Texas senators voted Nay. They had been so active in battling the Shamnesty Act. The result is what counts and this is another arrow in the ass for the socialist globalists. Posted by: TomR at September 12, 2007 06:27 AM
Well, I am skeptical. These same people voted for total amnesty, sponsored total amnesty and pushed total amnesty, for the 'Good of the Country. Now suddenly, 2 months after the defeat of the Amnesty bill they do a 180 and are against this trucking bill. Frankly, this doesn't make sense. What don't we know? First, it is a get Bush vote and Second, What is in this bill that doesn't agree with their perverted socialists agenda. And third, this has to go along with the Amnesty program, who is writing the revised version, which will be brought up later on or closer to Bush's departure from Office. I don't trust this whole scenario. Posted by: Mark at September 12, 2007 08:32 AM
It's disheartening to have to rely on Democrats to put the stops to this allowing Mexican trucks free access to America's highways. What in the world is wrong with these Republicans? Don't they have the sense God gave a brass door knob? Posted by: BobF at September 12, 2007 09:33 AM
Lynn your right, it has so many bad things about it, that would be a nightmare for Americans. I pray Bush listens to these people on this. Posted by: Wild Thing at September 12, 2007 11:38 PM
Tom, I love how you said this...."this is another arrow in the ass for the socialist globalists". Posted by: Wild Thing at September 12, 2007 11:40 PM
Mark, Nick said that too, it is in the back of my mind, I sure hope Bush signs this and hopefully it will end. But there is always that but will he........ augh. Posted by: Wild Thing at September 12, 2007 11:42 PM
Bob, nope haha the brass door knob has more sense I think. Posted by: Wild Thing at September 12, 2007 11:42 PM
WT - After I had to spend $40 at DMV last month for my truck to pass inspection... the senaturds on corruption hill must be reading your blog! How about MoveOn.Orgy stealing my 'General Betray US' quotes - used in reference to the Defeatocrats - and putting it in the NY Times @ $12 million bucks! Posted by: darthcrUSAderworldtour07 at September 13, 2007 12:40 AM
Bush 'Open Borders' agenda dealt serious bi-partisan blow
wnd ...for complete article"Tonight, commerce – for a change – did not trump safety," Dorgan said in a news release issued after the vote.
"The American people have spoken, and Congress has spoken," Hoffa said. "Now it's time for the Bush administration to listen. We don't want to share our highways with dangerous trucks from Mexico."
"We need to vote for our children, for our families, for our pets, and for ourselves," Brown charged, urging in an emotional plea that the Senate pass Dorgan's amendment.
Amends: H.R.3074
Sponsor: Sen Dorgan, Byron L.
Sen Obama, Barack [IL] - 9/10/2007
Sen Brown, Sherrod [OH] - 9/10/2007
Sen Specter, Arlen [PA] - 9/10/2007
Sen Inouye, Daniel K. [HI] - 9/10/2007
Sen Landrieu, Mary L. [LA] - 9/10/2007
Bennett (R-UT)
Bond (R-MO)
Bunning (R-KY)
Burr (R-NC)
Cochran (R-MS)
Cornyn (R-TX)
DeMint (R-SC)
Dole (R-NC)
Domenici (R-NM)
Grassley (R-IA)
Gregg (R-NH)
Hagel (R-NE)
Hutchison (R-TX)
Kyl (R-AZ)
Lieberman (ID-CT)
Lott (R-MS)
Lugar (R-IN)
Martinez (R-FL)
McConnell (R-KY)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Stevens (R-AK)
Sununu (R-NH)
Vitter (R-LA)
McCain (R-AZ)
Comments
I'm glad it was voted down.
For the sheer safety of the American people.
This is something I didn't want in my backyard and it would have been.
Who knows what those truckers would have been bringing in? Disease? More illegals?
