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National & World Ag News Headlines |
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House Passes Bill to End Mexican Cross-Border Truck Program
USAgNet - 09/17/2008
The House passed legislation to terminate the U.S. Department of Transportation program that allows Mexican trucks to operate throughout the United States. The bill was approved by a wide margin on a
vote of 395 to 19.
The program was intended to comply with cross-border trucking provisions in the North American Free Trade Agreement. However, the program has generated controversy in Congress since it was
announced by DOT in February 2007 and there is a lawsuit involving the program pending before the U.S. Court of Appeals. During a July 2008 hearing in the House Transportation and Infrastructure
Committee, Chairman Jim Oberstar (D-Minn.) said the pilot program was "not well-conceived nor well-structured." Many lawmakers who support the legislation have expressed concerns about safety
problems and fairness to the American trucking industry.
DOT announced on August 4 that it would continue the program for an additional two years. The White House issued a statement on September 9 saying the president intends to veto the bill because of
implications of NAFTA. The administration noted that "if DOT was forced to terminate the cross-border trucking demonstration project, opportunities and investment returns currently afforded U.S. motor
carriers participating in the project would be compromised."
No companion legislation has been introduced in the Senate.
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