Does the 110th Congress believe it must honor the nation’s treaty obligations? Apparently not. The House voted 395-18 Tuesday to close the southern border to Mexican long-haul trucks, effectively reneging on the 1993 North American Free Trade Agreement’s promise to give Mexican truckers full access to U.S. highways.
The legislation, sponsored by U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., would end a demonstration program launched last year to show that Mexican trucks could safely navigate U.S. roads. It’s just the latest of many attempts to erase this treaty obligation. Congressional Democrats, at the behest of the politically powerful Teamsters union and some environmental groups, led this years-long effort to deny Mexican trucks access to U.S. roads initially. With an election on the near horizon, most House Republicans joined them for Tuesday’s vote.
It is shameful that House members would vote by such a wide margin to ignore this treaty obligation. The vote was seen as politically expedient, no doubt. Trade protectionism generally plays well during uncertain economic times, and that’s what this political opposition to NAFTA’s provision regarding Mexican trucks is all about — protecting U.S. truckers from foreign competition.
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The Mexican Embassy in Washington DC just released a statement concerning the vote on HR-6630 to put an end to the Mexican Cross Border Pilot Program. The statement reflects my earlier opinion about the fallout from the action by the House of Representatives.
The Mexican Embassy said.
“The Government of Mexico is “deeply concerned” about the House vote and welcomes the administration’s intention to veto the measure.
“Mexico has fulfilled its NAFTA obligations and expects the U.S. do the same. Should the bill be enacted into law, the government of Mexico will consider taking all the appropriate actions, including remedies or countermeasures under the North American Free Trade Agreement,”
As well they should and they have every right to do so.
The White House, in a statement earlier in the day warning that senior advisers would recommend a veto, said U.S. and Mexican officials had “effectively addressed” any safety concerns. The White House also said terminating the program would damage trade with Mexico as well as hurt U.S. trucking firms participating in the program.
Dismissing a White House veto threat, the House voted Tuesday to end a pilot program giving Mexican trucks access to U.S. highways.
The Bush administration stressed that the United States is obligated, under the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement, to open up American roads to Mexican truckers, and that terminating the year-old demonstration project would have repercussions for American trucks allowed into Mexico. Passage of the House bill, it said “would pose significant and immediate risks to U.S. interests.”
But the pilot project, which permits up to 500 trucks from 100 Mexican companies access to U.S. roads, is opposed by Jimmy Hoffa and others who say it would eliminate American jobs and that Mexican trucks are subject to less stringent safety regulations. They say Mexico lacks adequate drug testing and hours-of service standards and that the program could contribute to smuggling or insurance fraud.
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