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.
“The reality is that international trade is growing and will grow.”
“You better get you a piece of the action.”
I’ve seen some make similar comments, but not as direct as above. Essentially, that’s where some people are and it’s it’s a fair question to ask at what point and at what price the US Constitution no longer matters at all. Not even getting into lost wages and jobs of US citizens at the price of China winning the number 1 spot in global trade dominance.
“We cannot afford to stop the progress being made by free trade agreements which improve standards of living to the point where people in Mexico or wherever can afford to purchase products and services made here in the US.”
I can respect your opinion, but I don’t agree with the above. As evidenced by this thread, there are many who feel that it’s not our responsibility no interest to bring other nations up to our level. We didn’t get where we are overnight, but re-evaluating/re-negotiating NAFTA is an idea I’ve now seen presented that at least gets us going IMO closer to the right direction.
>>It doesn’t matter if it is a treaty or a trade agreement.
There is a method of dispute resolution and that is an arbitration panel and the each nation’s judiciary must enforce the arbitration panel’s judgement(s).<<
Doesn’t the question of “treaty or trade agreement” determine how hard it is to change or break and how it compares to laws?
“its not just truckers its every job. Every single job in the US must have their wages slashed by 80% to come in line with international norms”
I am well aware of this, Geron!
Too bad some FReepers don’t see a problem with this.
I guess it depends on whose ox is being gored.
“Mexico is a lawless POS narco-state. Trucks will be hijacked. Drivers will be terrorized. Mafias will demand protection money
Of course this NAFTA trucking agreement is a one way street. Mexican truckers are safe up here because we have a civilized nation. The reverse does not hold true”
B I N G O !!
“Because stopping non-citizens from invading is exactly like stopping citizens from leaving. LOL!”
Didn’t you here about the 20 million people that were trying to jump the border INTO the old Soviet Union????
LMAO
“First: Mexican companies get unrestricted access to U.S. highways.
Second: Companies seeking better profits establish operations just over the Mexican border. American truckers lose jobs.
Third: China, in cooperation with the Mexican Government, builds huge ports in Mexico. American Longshoremen lose jobs.
A huge amount of capital and wages (that giant sucking sound) flow to Mexico, and Americans suffer.
Lastly: Unlimited amounts of drugs, weapons, and illegal aliens, along with the rise in pollution, vehicle fatalities, crime, disease, and welfare entitlements, arrive in America courtesy of NAFTA.”
BINGO!!
Shh. Dane's nursing a killer hangover...
Like mom always said - booze & keyboards just don't mix.
NAFTA is not a TREATY. It is not the "Supreme Law of the Land". It merely was a Congressional authorization, which had no hope of passing as a treaty, hence Xlinton sneaked it through as an agreement, a mere Congressional enactment...which cannot supersede State law. Or impose an extra-Constitutional juridical requirement that trumps U.S. review, or Panels which can impose "fines" on the people of the United States for failing to let the de facto unregulated and unsafe Mexican vehicles roam across the borders and throughout our country...
All Congress needs to do to put this all to rest is simply revoke NAFTA by Majority Vote...and DEFUND the Executive Branch enablements of it.
What should be done is that the US should give Mexico (and Canada) notice that we intend on abrogating the NAFTA treaty and if they want to renegotiate a fair trade treaty, we would be open to that at their earliest convenience. But you have to have a President willing to do this.
Of course Congress could propose a Constitutional amendment to overrule NAFTA, but the chances of that are slim as well. So are chances of a court case challenging the NAFTA treaty to make it to the USSC.
We got in this mess when Congress allowed NAFTA to be “fast tracked” and not subject to State ratification.
I’ve owned big trucks since 1973, and I was driving the 710 (LB Fwy) since it was still 167/LA River Fwy.
So, what is it YOU’RE raving about?
LOL!
You got that right!
Thank you.
Honest Judge, I didn’t know that foreign trade was illegal.
Stress was cited as number one in the studies I saw for heart attacks, and diesel fumes were cited as the likely higher rates of cancer.
Wrong. The alternatives were Alan Keyes and John McCain. Keyes was considered too wildly conservative by the "Good Old Boys" Texas oil money, and McCain was regarded as a rogue.
Time for BIG MONEY to take a back seat, and let the conservatives get the house back in order.
But, I assume any treaty or trade agreement can be broken or withdrawn from. But, a bilateral treaty doesn't have a third party to resolve disputes.
The thing about these FTAs is that they are really Investor-State Trade agreements. And as they have proliferated and disputes have been settled, they have estabished a body of law, or precedents.
The is quite a bit of internet info on Investor-State Law and Investor-State Trade agreements.
“Stress was cited as number one in the studies I saw for heart attacks, and diesel fumes were cited as the likely higher rates of cancer.”
Don’t think so. There are a lot of very stressful jobs. Smoking is bad. You can do it but if you think it is not a huge health risk then you are duped.
So you’re saying that our economy is dependant upon Mexicans being able to buy our goods in the U.S.? We did fine with our economy before we started trading with other countries. Things were made very well. Now if it breaks we throw it away. I’d choose quality over quantity any day. I look for things made in the USA when I go shopping. If I find something made here, I don’t have to worry about any poison or lead in it, because we have higher standards. When the government wants to start taking food out of our mouths I take exception with that. Shame on them! And for what? I can’t help that Mexico is a third world. If the people of Mexico are that oppressed then they can revolt against their own country, especially since they don’t care one wit about assimilating with our culture.
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