Washington, Sept 7: U.S. Representative John Boozman (R-AR) today condemned the beginning of a pilot program allowing up to 1,000 Mexican trucks access to the whole American roadway system, decrying the move as a “serious threat to American jobs and security.” “There has been no guarantee made that the proper safeguards are in place to require Mexican motor carriers to comply with our immigration standard and laws,” Boozman said. “I have grave concerns this program will give Mexican truckers unfettered access to the interior of the United States without any way to verify their identities, immigration status, or even their length of stay in our country. I believe the Administration has made a mistake in moving forward with this program without meeting the requirements Congress has laid upon them in a bipartisan manner.”This year, Congress passed H.R. 1773, the “Safe American Roads Act of 2007,” by a vote of 411-3. This legislation provided strict requirements that the Department of Transportation, and the pilot program, would follow national security guidelines and that an independent panel would assess their progress in ensuring the safety of the American public. Similar language was added to Public Law 110-28, the FY07 supplemental appropriations act. Boozman supported both measures.“Simply put, we’re going to put a thousand Mexican trucks on the road with no way to ensure they are following the strict motor carrier policies we have in place to keep our roadways safe. This will adversely affect American-based motor carriers by putting them in a situation where they would have to operate on one set of rules, while the truck in the next lane is on another set of rules, or even no rules at all. These facts lead me to the conclusion that the current pilot program is a serious threat to American jobs and security, which is something I cannot support,” Boozman said.
Boozman, a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, signed a July letter to President George W. Bush expressing the concern of a bipartisan group of House Members of the Mexican trucking program, specifically identifying security and safety concerns which have yet to be addressed. In March, Boozman co-sponsored the NAFTA Trucking Safety Act of 2007, which prevents Mexican truck drivers from driving in the United States until American law enforcement possess the ability to verify the driver’s identity as well as their driving record and criminal history, as well as confining Mexican carriers to the current commercial zone along the U.S.-Mexico border until certain conditions were met. [Source]
Tags: John Boozman, Mexican trucks, NAFTA, Representative, trucking, US House
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