July 26, 2001

(Washington, D.C.) - International Brotherhood of Teamsters General President James P. Hoffa today lauded the U.S. Senate's 70-30 vote to invoke cloture on a filibuster against the Murray-Shelby amendment to the Transportation Appropriations bill. Invoking cloture ends the filibuster and sets the stage for final passage of the Murray-Shelby amendment. The amendment strengthens the safety provisions required of trucks entering the United States from Mexico and limits access to U.S. highways by unsafe and uninspected trucks.

"Today the U.S. Senate took a strong stand for highway safety," said Hoffa. "We cannot close our eyes, let unsafe Mexican trucks across our border and hope everything turns out alright. Mexico must meet its end of the NAFTA bargain and establish a real safety regime."

Hoffa testified before the Senate Commerce Committee on July 19 in support of the Murray-Shelby amendment and to voice concerns about the Bush Administration's plans to open the border by January 1, 2002.

The Murray-Shelby amendment ensures that:

• Funds are barred for the Department of Transportation to process Mexican carrier applications until border crossings have 24/7 coverage; 
• Safety audits are performed before any conditional operating authority is granted to Mexican carriers; 
• Equipment is placed at the border to weigh all commercial vehicles entering the U.S.; 
• Mexican truck drivers comply with hours-of-service regulations.

The House of Representatives passed similar legislation on June 26. A conference committee will resolve the differences between the two pieces of legislation.

The Teamsters began running 60-second radio advertisements on the cross-border issue in Washington, D.C. this week. Additional advertisements will run in targeted districts nationwide.

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents more than 1.4 million hardworking men and women throughout the United States and Canada.