Washington, D.C. -Today, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR) pushed back on a decision by the Department of Transportation (DOT) to open the United States border to Mexican-domiciled trucking companies.
"Today, the Obama Administration notified me that as of Monday, the U.S. border will be open for Mexican-domiciled trucking companies to apply for long-haul operating authority. I am deeply disappointed," DeFazio said. "They are justifying this decision, using data collected from Mexican trucks that they allowed to operate long haul in the U.S. as enterprise carriers, avoiding the more arduous pilot program. These carriers were not subject to the more rigorous safety inspections, electronic monitoring of hours of service compliance, and other measures to which pilot program carriers were subject. A December IG report showed that we do not truly know whether or not Mexican carriers pose a safety risk to our roads. This Administration appears insistent on creating opportunities for Mexican carriers - which will have major impacts on safety, security, and American jobs."
DeFazio raised several longstanding concerns with DOT:
Source: House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
