U.S. Senate votes to block Mexican trucking pilot

Just a few days after officially getting underway, the on-again, off-again Mexican truck program could be off yet again.

Urged on by the plan’s opponents like Public Citizen, the Teamsters, and the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, the U.S. Senate voted late last night to block funding for the year-long program that allows Mexican long-haul trucks to operate in the U.S. beyond the current 25-mile commercial restriction zone.

Last week, a petition to stay the pilot filed by several of those groups was dismissed by a San Francisco court, effectively giving the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration the green light to proceed.

A handful of the 100 select Mexican carriers chosen for the pilot have already begun crossing the border. At least one U.S. carrier reportedly crossed into Mexico.

Expressing his disappointment in the Senate vote, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administrator John H. Hill said, “Tonight’s decision by the Senate is a sad victory for the politics of fear and protectionism and a disappointing defeat for U.S. consumers and U.S. truck drivers.

“This decision robs consumers of significant new savings, deprives drivers of new opportunities to compete in Mexico and squanders millions in taxpayer dollars Congress has spent to put in place a sophisticated safety network for border crossings.”

Reaction from opponents was swift. Both OOIDA and the Teamsters were jubilant in their praise of the 74-24 vote. “Congress has said enough is enough,” said OOIDA director Todd Spencer in a press release. “They’re tired of the administration’s efforts to force the pilot program on the American people. Our nation’s safety and security should never be put at risk.”

There’s no guarantee the vote will actually halt the program, however. The amendment passed by the Senate is contained in a funding bill for transportation projects for 2008. The pending legislation still faces an “up and down” vote before heading to President Bush, who has already promised to veto it.