By Teamsters General President James P. Hoffa Last week, a northbound Mexican semi-tractor trailer crashed into another semi when it tried to pop a U-turn on the Mexican side of a border bridge.
The truck burst into flames. A pickup truck plunged off the bridge, killing three men. A mini-van driver was burned beyond recognition. Six people, including three children, were hurt.
The bridge director said tractor-trailers routinely make U-turns on the Mexican side of the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge when drivers realize they’re missing the proper documentation to cross the international border. Or maybe they’re trying to avoid inspections. Whatever the reason, it’s alarming.
The roads in Mexico simply aren’t as safe as they are in the United States. The Pharr-Reynosa bridge tragedy is just the latest example, but there are many, many more.
Whether people die on our highways seems to be of little concern to the Bush administration. They desperately want to throw open our borders to Mexican trucks.
Congress doesn’t like that idea so much. Since 2002, laws have been put on the books that require the Transportation Department to prove highway safety won’t be affected before—not after—a pilot project opens the border to long-haul trucks from Mexico.
There’s a good reason for such caution.
For starters: Security lapses and long wait times at U.S. borders result from staff shortages, poor training of border personnel, outdated facilities, an overwhelming workload and a lack of standard tamperproof documents.
The Bush administration doesn’t care that Mexican trucks aren’t as safe as ours. The Bush administration doesn’t care that border inspection stations are overwhelmed. The Bush administration doesn’t care that Congress passed law after law requiring proof that a cross-border pilot program wouldn’t affect safety.
Just after Labor Day, the Bush administration threw open the borders to longhaul Mexican trucks.
Congress quickly passed a law to close the border. It took effect Dec. 26.
The Bush administration now claims it doesn’t understand the English language.The Transportation Department says the law doesn’t apply to the pilot project. In brazen defiance of the law, the Bush administration will
keep the Mexican trucks coming.
Teamsters are not happy. We filed our final brief in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco as part of our case challenging the legality of the pilot project.
Our brief states that the Bush administration “has not and cannot dispute the extensive legislative history that makes crystal clear Congress’ specific intent to stop the pilot program.”
Our oral arguments take place on Feb. 12. We’re confident the court will side with us and rule that this reckless, dangerous program breaks the law.
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