Reckless Disregard

By James P. Hoffa, Teamsters General President

Even as he heads toward the exit, George Bush is sabotaging the safety of American working families. His transportation secretary, Mary Peters, announced Monday that the border will be kept open to dangerous Mexican trucks for two more years.

I’m mad as hell about it, but I’m not surprised. Michigan residents shouldn’t be either.

Bush’s decision to keep the border open fits with his pattern of reckless disregard for the safety of the American people.

It was about a year ago that he first allowed trucks from Mexico to travel freely on U.S. highways. He called it a “one-year pilot program.” In reality, it’s the first step toward unfettered access for trucks from anywhere south of the border.

Most Americans think this is a terrible idea. That’s why the Bush administration first tried to sneak the pilot program into existence last year. It was only after the Teamsters outed the administration that officials admitted they really were opening the border to dangerous trucks from Mexico.

The program’s unpopularity is also why the Bush administration announced a few days ago that the border would stay open for two more years. Announcing bad news in August, when most people aren’t paying much attention, is an age-old trick in Washington.

Members of Congress did hear the news as they wrapped up their work before the August recess. Some were furious that Bush had once again defied them.

Congress had already passed one law closing the border to these trucks, which don’t meet the same safety standards as U.S. trucks.

But the Bush administration simply ignores the law. That’s why Congress is in the process of passing more legislation to stop the lawbreaking.

Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., chairman of the House Highways subcommittee, issued a blistering statement after he found out the Bush administration planned to keep the border open.

“This administration has been hell-bent on opening up our border but over the past year has failed to show they can adequately inspect Mexican carriers while also maintaining a robust U.S. safety inspection program,” DeFazio said. “There is no reason to believe these problems will be addressed over the next two years. The safety of the traveling public must come first – before the administration's fantasies about free trade.”

Republican Sen. John McCain didn’t voice any outrage. He strongly supports opening the border to unsafe Mexican trucks. Sen. Barack Obama, the presumptive Democratic nominee, pledged to the Teamsters that he will close the border if he’s elected.

House Transportation Committee Chairman Jim Oberstar, D-Minn., said the Bush administration is flouting the law. Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., said the Bush administration showed “reckless arrogance for the law.”

Well said.

We have laws here in the United States that require certain safety standards to be met before the border can be opened.

Border inspectors must be able to make sure Mexican drivers speak English.

Inspectors must also be able to check every Mexican truck every time it crosses the border.

Mexican drivers must be tested for drugs and alcohol according to U.S. standards.

Mexican trucks must be as safe as U.S. trucks.

The agency that opened the border, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), claimed that all those conditions were met. That isn’t true.

The Teamsters have taken our case to court, asking that the border be closed. We are still awaiting the judges’ opinion.

Unfortunately, it will take more than judicial intervention to force FMCSA to do its job.

Since Bush became president 7-1/2 long years ago, FMCSA has changed the rules so that employers can require truck drivers to spend more hours behind the wheel.

The agency does a lousy job enforcing existing safety regulations.

It won’t report to Congress on the most dangerous motor carriers, as it is required to do.

It refuses to enforce the Americans With Disabilities Act, despite a court order.

Keeping America safe means more than making sure terrorists don’t attack. It means making sure our families here in Michigan and throughout the rest of the country don’t have to dodge 90,000-pound unguided missiles from Mexico on our highways.