Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL) and other members of the U.S. Senate who held their ground on stricter rules for Mexican trucks are claiming victory today. Lawmakers responded to a motion Wednesday to knock off the haggling over proposed safety requirements for Mexican trucks entering the United States and move forward on the Department of Transportation spending bill. Later in the afternoon, the spending bill was approved by voice vote.
The White House has threatened to veto the transportation bill because President Bush believes the proposed requirements (the Murray-Shelby amendment) for Mexican trucking companies is too tough. The administration feels the strict requirements will be time-consuming and delay the opening of the border, creating a further aggravation to the U.S.'s co-signers in the 1993 free trade agreement. Bush also believes that stricter rules are discriminatory.
Addressing this discrimination issue on the Senate floor Wednesday, Sen. Murray refuted accusations that the amendment she authored was so strict on Mexican trucks that it discriminated against Mexico. She said that under NAFTA's provisions, the U.S. is entitled to treat Canadian and Mexican drivers according to what is known about the country's transportation habits and if necessary, special requirements may be made. She quoted the decision of the NAFTA tribunal, who gave the U.S. the right to take measures to protect its citizens. She reminded her fellow senators that she voted for NAFTA.
Sen. Murray recited some of the groups that support tough rules for Mexican trucks. They include the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, organized labor, Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA), AAA Texas, Parents of Tired Truckers (PATT), Public Citizen, Advocates for Highway & Auto Safety (AHAS), Friends of the Earth, the Trauma Foundation and others.
According to published reports, those who support weaker restrictions include the American Trucking Association, National Association of Manufacturers, Grocery Manufacturers of America, U.S.-Mexico Chamber of Commerce, Agricultural Transporters Conference, Border Trade Alliance, United States Chamber of Commerce, National Foreign Trade Council, the Fertilizer Institute, and TASA Trucking.
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who has aligned himself with President Bush's view on the issue, indicated that when Senate members return to Washington in September, there would be another opportunity to derail the language of the Murray-Shelby amendment as the Senate and the House try to iron out their different versions of the bill.
