MyFoxOrlando

Congressional Quarterly TODAY – APPROPRIATIONS: TRANSPORTATION-HUD
Sept. 10, 2007 – 4:34 p.m.

http://public.cq.com/docs/cqt/news110-000002581201.html

Senate Amendment Would Bar Funds for Mexican Truck Pilot Program

The Senate is expected to vote Tuesday on whether to prohibit long-haul Mexican trucks from crossing into the United States, as part of the debate on a fiscal 2008 spending bill.

The amendment to the $104.6 billion Transportation-HUD measure (HR 3074) would bar funds from being used for a controversial Transportation Department pilot program allowing up to 100 Mexican trucking companies to operate in the United States beyond a 25-mile radius of the border.

The administration ordered the pilot program early this year, but Congress blocked it with a rider on the fiscal 2007 Iraq War supplemental bill (PL 110-28), pending a report by the Department of Transportation’s inspector general and a department response to that report.

The department issued that report Sept. 6 and triggered the program one hour later, said Sen. Byron L. Dorgan, D-N.D., who offered the amendment.

Dorgan said the department’s move ignored the inspector general’s finding that Mexican databases were insufficient to provide information about vehicle inspections, accident reports and driver records — “the entire guts of what you need to know if you’re going to ensure the safety of the American public,” Dorgan said.

The House adopted a similar amendment to its version of the Transportation-HUD measure before passing it July 24.

Republicans objected to a vote Monday on the Dorgan amendment, and it was not clear whether they would also seek to block action Tuesday.

JamesD's Blog

Mexican Trucking in The States

JamesD

Inside Fox:
About FOX 35 Find it Here Mornings What's on FOX Contests

Write your comment below: Email me when a new comment is added to this entry