August 17, 2007

(Washington, D.C.) -- The Teamsters Union strongly opposes the Bush administration’s plans, announced today, to press forward with its unsafe cross-border trucking program despite repeated and overwhelming opposition from Congress and the American driving public.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced in the Federal Register that it plans to proceed with the pilot project, which would allow unsafe Mexican trucks to travel freely along U.S. highways.

“It’s outrageous, yet not surprising, that the Bush administration would announce on a Friday during Congress’ August recess that it plans to recklessly move forward with its hugely unpopular program to throw open our border to unsafe Mexican trucks,” said Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa. “President Bush’s fondness for secrecy is matched only by his willingness to defy Congress.

“Just last month, the House of Representatives voted to cut off funding for the cross-border trucking program,” Hoffa said. “The bill, however, must still pass the Senate. The Bush administration took the opportunity presented by the August recess to foist this foolhardy, dangerous plan onto the American people.”

Hoffa said the Teamsters are assessing possible legal action to prevent the initiation of the pilot program.

FMCSA said in its notice it would go ahead with the program once the inspector general completes a report required by the war supplemental appropriations act passed earlier this year. 

On July 24, the House voted to amend the Transportation-HUD 2008 appropriations bill by limiting funding for the pilot project. The amendment had bipartisan support, with sponsorship by Reps. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., Nancy Boyda, D-Kan., Gary Miller, R-Calif., and Duncan Hunter, R-Calif.

Among the reasons the Teamsters oppose the pilot program:

• There is no certified laboratory in Mexico that can test drug and alcohol samples.
• Mexico does not enforce hours-of-service regulations.
• The Mexican Commercial Drivers License (CDL) has questionable medical standards and no real assurance that the license is authentic.
• State databases in the United States do not adequately track Mexican drivers’ history. For example, the Transportation Department’s Office of Inspector General has reported that more than 40,000 traffic violations by Mexican drivers hadn’t been entered into the State of Texas’ database.

Founded in 1903, the Teamsters Union represents more than 1.4 million hardworking men and women in the United States and Canada.