The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“SUPPORT FOREIGN TRUCK SAFETY ACT” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Transportation was published in the House of Representatives section on pages H5047-H5048 on June 29, 1999.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
SUPPORT FOREIGN TRUCK SAFETY ACT
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Lipinski) is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight in opposition to NAFTA and its provisions to expand Mexican trucking privileges into the United States.
When we debated NAFTA in 1993, supporters claimed that NAFTA would not harm American workers and workers in Mexico and would not harm the environment. Unfortunately, they were wrong. This treaty has sent thousands of good American jobs south of the border and it has subjected that border to increased pollution of the air, water and land. Mexican workers are being abused and are not reaping the financial or social benefits they were promised. And America is being abused by other countries that are sneaking goods into the United States through dummy Mexican corporations. These are the most prominent promises broken by NAFTA. But we are about to add to the list. This administration, under terms of NAFTA, is considering opening up all of America to Mexican trucks as of January 1, 2000.
What will the entrance of Mexican trucks mean for America? It will generate more pollution and increase the loss of good-paying American jobs. Most seriously, it will threaten the lives of qualified American drivers who will be forced to share the road with unqualified foreign drivers who, as evidence proves, are driving unsafe, pollution-belching trucks.
U.S. inspectors, some operating just during the weekday hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. have found that almost 50 percent of inspected Mexican trucks have been ordered to undergo immediate service for safety problems. This is based on the results of the few inspections of trucks already allowed to enter a commercial zone in the U.S. In reality, hordes of unexpected foreign trucks cross various border points after 5 p.m. and before 9 a.m. in the morning and on the weekends when there are no inspectors available. Accordingly, the Department of Transportation's Inspector General has already concluded that the DOT does not have a consistent enforcement program to provide reasonable assurance of the safety of trucks entering the United States. How could this administration suggest expanding border trucking privileges when we cannot regulate the current privileges we offer?
Unsafe trucks are not only appearing in the four border States, but as this map here shows, reports of dangerous trucks have come from at least 24 additional States. From Washington to Illinois to New York, the entire country is at risk. Therefore, very soon I plan on introducing the Foreign Truck Safety Act, legislation that will require mandatory safety inspections on all trucks crossing into the United States from Mexico. As of January 2, 2000, the Foreign Truck Safety Act will authorize the border States to impose and collect fees on trucks to cover the cost of these inspections. By requiring all trucks to pass inspections before entering the United States, we can help to limit the risks these unsafe trucks pose to our citizens. This country entered into NAFTA in order to better the lives of our citizens. Without this legislation, we will simply put our citizens in more jeopardy.
I think people are more important than profits, and I am concerned about the thousands of unsafe Mexican trucks rumbling down our highways and biways. Average Americans already are fearful about driving next to large safe U.S. trucks that pass inspections. Imagine their fears when unsafe Mexican trucks hit our streets, roads and superhighways.
Mr. Speaker, it is time to stand up for Americans. Therefore, I urge all my colleagues to work with me to pass the Foreign Truck Safety Act so that Americans will never be afraid to drive down Main Street USA.
____________________
