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Senate votes to ban Mexican trucks
AP via Yahoo! News ^ | Sep. 11, 2007 | Suzanne Gamboa

Posted on 09/11/2007 5:09:04 PM PDT by ruination

WASHINGTON - The Senate voted Tuesday to ban Mexican trucks from U.S. roadways, rekindling a more than decade-old trade dispute with Mexico.

By a 74-24 vote, the Senate approved a proposal by Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., prohibiting the Transportation Department from spending money on a North American Free Trade Agreement pilot program giving Mexican trucks access to U.S. highways.

The proposal is part of a $106 billion transportation and housing spending bill that the Senate hopes to vote on later this week. The House approved a similar provision to Dorgan's in July as part of its version of the transportation spending bill.

Supporters of Dorgan's amendment argued the trucks are not yet proven safe. Opponents said the U.S. is applying tougher standards to Mexican trucks than to Canadian trucks and failing to live up to its NAFTA obligations.

Until last week, Mexican trucks were restricted to driving within a commercial border zone that stretched about 20 miles from the U.S.-Mexican boundary, 75 miles in Arizona. One truck has traveled deep into the U.S. interior as part of the pilot program.

Blocking the trucks would help Democrats curry favor with organized labor, an important ally for the 2008 presidential elections.

"Why the urgency? Why not stand up for the (truck) standards that we've created and developed in this country?" Dorgan asked.

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, who drafted a Republican alternative to Dorgan's amendment, said the attempt to block the trucks appeared to be about limiting competition and may amount to discrimination against Mexico.

"I would never allow an unsafe truck on our highways, particularly Texas highways," he said.

Under NAFTA, Mexico can seek retaliation against the U.S. for failing to adhere to the treaty's requirements, including retaining tariffs on goods that the treaty eliminates, said Sidney Weintraub, a professor emeritus at the University of Texas LBJ School of Public Affairs in Austin.

The trucking program allows up to 100 Mexican carriers to send their trucks on U.S. roadways for delivery and pickup of cargo. None can carry hazardous material or haul cargo between U.S. points.

So far, the Department of Transportation has granted a single Mexican carrier, Transportes Olympic, access to U.S. roads after a more than decade-long dispute over the NAFTA provision opening up the roadways.

One of the carrier's trucks crossed the border in Laredo, Texas last week and delivered its cargo in North Carolina on Monday and was expected to return to Mexico late this week after a stop in Decatur, Ala.

The transportation bill is S. 1789.


TOPICS: Breaking News; Business/Economy; Constitution/Conservatism; Government
KEYWORDS: 110th; aliens; cuespookymusic; icecreammandrake; illegalimmigration; immigrantlist; immigration; mexicantrucks; mexico; nafta; nau; sapandimpurify; shaftya; spp; trucking; unionthugs; votejohnedwards2008; worstcongressever
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1 posted on 09/11/2007 5:09:13 PM PDT by ruination
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To: ruination

Free traitors deeply saddened.


2 posted on 09/11/2007 5:09:50 PM PDT by NapkinUser (Tom Tancredo or Ron Paul in 2008!)
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To: ruination

omg the Senate found its backbone!!


3 posted on 09/11/2007 5:11:12 PM PDT by Cinnamon
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To: NapkinUser

Teamster thugs elated.


4 posted on 09/11/2007 5:13:51 PM PDT by mdefranc
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To: Cinnamon
omg the Senate found its backbone!!

Sounds to me like they found their pollsters (for which I am grateful).

5 posted on 09/11/2007 5:15:11 PM PDT by SergeiRachmaninov
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To: ruination
Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, who drafted a Republican alternative to Dorgan's amendment, said the attempt to block the trucks appeared to be about limiting competition and may amount to discrimination against Mexico.

Hopefully, the voters of Texas will remember this and discriminate against Cornyn at his next primary election.
6 posted on 09/11/2007 5:15:13 PM PDT by George W. Bush
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Comment #7 Removed by Moderator

To: ruination

I am under the impression that this is a treaty requirement.


8 posted on 09/11/2007 5:16:37 PM PDT by gondramB (Preach the Gospel at all times, and when necessary, use words)
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To: ruination
Blocking the trucks would help Democrats curry favor with organized labor, an important ally for the 2008 presidential elections.

Yep.

9 posted on 09/11/2007 5:17:13 PM PDT by Jean S
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Comment #10 Removed by Moderator

To: Cinnamon
omg the Senate found its backbone!!

They found in the pressure from constituents.
11 posted on 09/11/2007 5:17:21 PM PDT by Man50D (Fair Tax, you earn it, you keep it!)
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To: mdefranc

I loathe unions, but if those teamsters are U.S. Citizens and work in the United States, they sure as hell get my vote to work over foreign nationals.


12 posted on 09/11/2007 5:18:06 PM PDT by DoughtyOne ((Victory will never be achieved while defining Conservatism downward, and forsaking its heritage.))
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To: George W. Bush

‘Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, who drafted a Republican alternative to Dorgan’s amendment, said the attempt to block the trucks appeared to be about limiting competition and may amount to discrimination against Mexico.’

yeah. I hope Texas voters discriminate him, and vote someone with country-first views in his place.


13 posted on 09/11/2007 5:18:22 PM PDT by Cinnamon
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To: bcsco

Ping


14 posted on 09/11/2007 5:18:53 PM PDT by greyfoxx39 ( Mexico does not stop at its border, Wherever there is a Mexican, there is Mexico. Calderon)
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To: bcsco

Ping


15 posted on 09/11/2007 5:19:00 PM PDT by greyfoxx39 ( Mexico does not stop at its border, Wherever there is a Mexican, there is Mexico. Calderon)
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To: ruination
may amount to discrimination against Mexico

In two words: who cares? Does Mexico have civil rights under the Constitution?

16 posted on 09/11/2007 5:19:14 PM PDT by FoxInSocks
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To: bcsco

Ping


17 posted on 09/11/2007 5:19:22 PM PDT by greyfoxx39 ( Mexico does not stop at its border, Wherever there is a Mexican, there is Mexico. Calderon)
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To: ruination
None can carry hazardous material or haul cargo between U.S. points.

Except illegal aliens, terrorists and their WMD's.
18 posted on 09/11/2007 5:19:22 PM PDT by Man50D (Fair Tax, you earn it, you keep it!)
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Comment #19 Removed by Moderator

To: ruination
Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, who drafted a Republican alternative to Dorgan's amendment, said the attempt to block the trucks appeared to be about limiting competition and may amount to discrimination against Mexico.

That statement is apparently in error.


Corrected version:

Sen. John Cornyn, R-TexasMexico, who drafted a Republican alternative to Dorgan's amendment, said the attempt to block the trucks appeared to be about limiting competition and may amount to discrimination against Mexico.
20 posted on 09/11/2007 5:20:07 PM PDT by TomGuy
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