How do you feel about the good news Mexican truck plan hits snag in Senate ?

Question

From our very own Yahoo news service.WASHINGTON - Mexican trucks could have to wait longer than anticipated to haul freight deep into the United States.

The Bush administration in February announced that it would soon allow 100 Mexican trucking companies to travel beyond the current 20-mile limit for a one-year pilot project.

But a Senate panel on Thursday voted to delay the plan by requiring the administration to publish details about it and giving the public time to comment on it. The action came as part of a supplemental spending bill to pay for wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"The administration is rushing to open the border to Mexican-domiciled trucks without assuring their safety and enforcement of the law of the U.S.," said Joan Claybrook, president of Public Citizen. "They can't go rushing forward in opening the border without having explained what their pilot project is."

The Transportation Department said it is committed to moving forward with the program and will work with lawmakers to address their concerns.

"The Mexican trucking demonstration program will bring real benefits and real dollars to the American economy while maintaining all U.S. safety and security standards," the department said in a statement.

Democratic Sens. Byron Dorgan (news, bio, voting record) of North Dakota, Dianne Feinstein (news, bio, voting record) of California and Patty Murray (news, bio, voting record) of Washington sponsored the amendment.

"There still remain very significant safety issues," Dorgan said.

He also criticized the Bush administration for opening the border to Mexican trucks before Mexico opened the border to U.S. trucks. "They were going to implement these plans for Mexican long-haul trucks in a way that was at odds with how the Mexicans were going to treat American truckers," Dorgan said.

The move to delay the administration plan was welcomed by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.

"This is an important first step in our fight to ensure the safety and security of America's highways," said Teamsters spokeswoman Leigh Strope.

Access to all U.S. highways was promised by 2000 under the 1993 North American Free Trade Agreement, as was access through Mexico for U.S. carriers.

That aspect of NAFTA, however, was stalled by lawsuits and disagreements between the two countries, though Canadian and U.S. trucks travel freely across the northern border.

The Bush pilot project will let Mexican truck companies travel from Mexico throughout the United States and back. No hazardous material shipments will be permitted.

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On the Net:

Transportation Department: http://www.dot.gov

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070323/ap_on_go_co/mexican_trucks

Spud
SNAG, for lack of a better word, is good. SNAG is right. SNAG works.

Answer 1

It is so nice when government does what it is supposed to.

Confess it, though, weren't you a little surprised?

I felt better as soon as I saw Feinstein saying she wanted hearings on this, when it was first anounced.

I hadn't seen this though.

Thank you!

And this link was in your article:

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-mexdrugs24mar24,1,5528358.story?coll=la-headlines-world

How long before those 'trusted trading partners' with speed passes to bypass normal customs inspections would be approached by some of the cartels to carry THEIR cargo? They already found one of these trusted trading partners smuggling this year.

Answer 2

There is a very peculiar aire about this rabid push to inundate this country under the flood of Mexican input on ALL levels !!!
It it odorous and extremely indefensible within ANY terms that can be made in regards to the welfare of THIS nation !! One only has to look at the demise of the American economic standards on the street level within this country SINCE the allowances have been made in behalf of illegals POURING into the country with Federal support and the RAPID PUSH from the Federal government to accept Mexican goods into this country at record levels while supporting hundreds of American business's moving workforce and manufacturing TO MEXICO FROM AMERICAN CITIES IN STAGGERING NUMBERS !!! This seemingly "HIDDEN AGENDA" within the current administration to BALANCE THE ECONOMIC STANDARDS OF THE TWO COUNTRIES IN QUESTION CAN ONLY LEAD TO THE UNITED STATES BEING SUCKED UNDER BY AN ENORMOUS RANGE WHILE THE MEXICANS STAND TO BE THE ONLY WINNER IN THIS DEAL !!!! Time for all Americans to stand up and say a solid HELL NO to this type of bartering of this country's sovereignty and economic future !!!!!!

Answer 3

I don't know why you're celebrating. It's just another case of why nothing gets done in Washington. Everytime a law is proposed, those people that we elected debate about it until it either looks nothing like it did and changes nothing, or they wait until it's out of the media spotlight and either pass it or fail it depending on who's payroll they're on. We need to open the borders as much as possible, but all the fear/hate-mongering groups will see that it doesn't happen.

Answer 4

I think it is a good plan to delay. It is very vague and the public has no interest (that we know of) to these companies. Perhaps if the companies were listed. We don't have to rush everything. It is always better to know the specifics of everything.

Answer 5

It is completely stupid. The onus to protect us from illegals should start on the Mexican side of the border. Bush should lean on Mexico but he will not because all his rich Texas friends are using illegal labor to get even richer.

Answer 6

it's not what Mexico can do for the united states. it's what the united states can do for Mexico. I'm sick of helping a country that can careless what happens as long as they get what they want at the American tax payers expense.

Answer 7

For the one that asked for help.= I see you got it, Its under our authoritative eyes now.-------Also thanks to YAHOO Q/A.--------------

Answer 8

YEAH !