Richard Shelby: “I believe the Senator from Texas, Mr. Gramm, my good friend, continues to define this issue as one about identical…”

“I believe the Senator from Texas, Mr. Gramm, my good friend, continues to define this issue as one about identical treatment of Mexican trucks, U.S. trucks, and Canadian trucks. Unfortunately, for my good friend from Texas, this is not about creating a rubber-stamp approach to trucks entering our country and driving on our highways. This is about providing an approach tailored to the out-of-service rates we see in Mexican trucks. Unfortunately, for the position put forth by my good friends from Texas and Arizona, under NAFTA, we have the right and we have the obligation to provide for safety on our highways in the United States and to regulate Mexican trucks entering this country as long as such regulations are 'no greater than necessary for legitimate regulatory reasons such as safety.' This language came from the arbitration panel. The Murray-Shelby provision is clearly within the legitimate safety interests that we have an obligation to regulate in this country. Also, unfortunately, I believe, for my colleague from Texas, his argument that the Murray-Shelby provision violates NAFTA, violations of NAFTA are not judged by the Senate or even the administration.”