Washington DC -The House of Representatives has sent a loud, clear message to the Bush Administration to terminate its pilot program allowing Mexico-domiciled trucks full access to U.S. roads.

By a vote of 395 to 18, the House today approved H.R. 6630, a bill to require a cross-border trucking pilot program initiated by the Department of Transportation (DOT) on September 6, 2007, to terminate immediately.

“This bill will force the Bush Administration to stay true to its word that this program will remain a short-term, limited experiment,” said Congressman Jim Oberstar, Chairman of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and an original cosponsor of the legislation.  “In February of last year, Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters first announced her intent to launch a pilot program to allow up to 100 Mexico-domiciled motor carriers to operate beyond the commercial zones at the U.S.-Mexico border.  The Secretary assured Congress and the American people that this pilot program would last one year.  The Secretary made this pledge at news conferences and multiple Congressional hearings.  DOT further cemented this commitment by publishing the details of a one-year pilot program in three separate Federal Register notices.”

Despite these pledges and strong, consistent, bipartisan opposition from Congress, Secretary Peters announced in August that she was extending the program another two years.

Under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), trucks from the United States and Mexico are to have full and free access to the road systems in each country.  However, continuing concerns over safety, licensing, and law enforcement have prompted Congress to forestall past attempts to fully open the borders. 

“There is nothing in NAFTA, or any other trade agreement, that abrogates the authority of Congress to exercise its power under the Constitution to change domestic law,” said Oberstar.  “It is time for Congress to reclaim its ability to have some bearing on the obligations contained in the surface transportation provisions of NAFTA.”