As you know, before the end of April, the U.S. Department of Transportation plans to launch a program to allow 100 Mexico-domiciled trucking companies to operate throughout the United States. There will be no limit on the number of trucks and drivers involved in the program.
This afternoon, the U.S. Senate is finishing debate on a supplemental spending bill - S965 - that is intended to provide funding for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as for many other federal government programs.
Though the future of the overall bill is somewhat in question, the Mexican trucking pilot program amendment that became Section 4001 of that bill is fully intact.
Thanks in large part to phone calls from thousands of truckers like you, our amendment was not only included in the bill last week, but advocates of opening the border were thwarted in their efforts to get Senators to remove Section 4001 from the overall bill this week.
NOW it's time to CONTACT your elected representative in the U.S. House of Representatives. Legislation will soon be introduced in the House to put the brakes on the Mexican trucking pilot program.
Please call your U.S. REPRESENTATIVE and tell him or her to stop the Mexican trucking pilot program.
Call the U.S. Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121, provide the operator with your home ZIP code and they will connect you with the office of your U.S. Representative.
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SAMPLE MESSAGE:
"I am from (your city and state) and I am adamantly opposed to the Mexican trucking pilot program. Right now there are too many safety, security and economic risks involved with opening our roads to Mexico-domiciled trucks. As my elected representative, I ask that Representative (name of your representative) do all that he/she can to stop this program from being implemented."
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Remember to always be courteous, but it never hurts to follow-up your call to a congressional office with another call the following day and to continue calling until you get the responses that you want from your elected representatives.
Taking a few minutes out of your day to make a phone call can make all the difference when your elected representatives have to decide how to vote or where to put their efforts.
If you have questions, do not hesitate to call the Association at 1-800-444-5791.
TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE OUR VOICES HEARD. TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE CAPITOL HILL TAKE NOTICE. TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE LIFE BETTER FOR TRUCKERS THROUGHOUT AMERICA
No problem...I will send this out to my large family and get some help. I will get some friends involved too.........they will get so sick of letters from me that they will halt the whole idea just to get me to stop writing them.
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"To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment." -Ralph Waldo Emerson
It's a shame we have to make a law demanding our government follow existing laws ....
Today, U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-CA, along with U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-OH, introduced HR1756, the NAFTA Trucking Safety Act of 2007.
This bill will slam the brakes on the DOT's Mexican trucking pilot program.
The NAFTA Trucking Safety Act says that before the DOT can move forward with its pilot program these things must happen:
· All Mexico-domiciled trucks, trucking companies and drivers must be fully held to the same safety and security standards as American companies, trucks and drivers.
· The U.S. Department of Homeland Security must be ready to fully enforce immigration and customs laws (cabotage) that apply to Mexico-domiciled trucks and drivers. And they must put penalties in place for any shipper, broker or carrier who knowingly helps a Mexican trucker break cabotage laws.
· U.S. law enforcement must have the same capability to enforce laws applying to Mexican truck drivers as they do enforcing those applying to U.S. drivers.
· The DOT must prove that databases exist on Mexican drivers that are equal in quality and reliability as those on U.S. drivers. And it must be proved that law enforcement will have full access to those databases to ensure all Mexico-domiciled truck drivers on our highways are who they say they are, and are fully qualified to be here.
· The DOT must show Congress that it is able and willing to enforce English-language proficiency requirements.
Please call your U.S. Representative NOW to ask them to be a co-sponsor of Rep. Hunter's NAFTA Trucking Safety Act of 2007!
Call the U.S. Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121, provide the operators with your home ZIP code and they will connect you with the office of your U.S. Representative.
