Byron Dorgan: “The Senator from Texas is attempting to weaken the provisions in the Murray bill. I happen to think the Murray…”

“The Senator from Texas is attempting to weaken the provisions in the Murray bill. I happen to think the Murray provisions are too weak. I would like a stronger provision. I want the House provision to prevail that simply says during the next fiscal year, no funds will be used for certifying long-haul Mexican trucks to come into this country unimpeded beyond the 20-mile limit. As I said, I happen to think the Murray provision is not strong enough. The amendment that is before us is to try to weaken the Murray provision. In my judgment, it makes no sense. I will not use terms such as 'raw, rotten protectionism' because they are totally inappropriate about this decision. This is not about discrimination. It is not about trade. It is not about protectionism. It is not about anything that is raw or rotten. It is about whether we are willing to stand up for standards we have already established in this country for safety on our road dealing with 18-wheel, 80,000-pound trucks. Do you want a driver behind you who has just come across the border who has been awake for 24 straight hours and is driving a truck that is unsafe, with no brakes? I don't think so. These standards are radically different in the United States. Ten hours of consecutive driving is all you can do in the United States. You have to have logbooks. In Mexico, they have no logbooks. Alcohol and drug testing: In the United States, yes; in Mexico, no. The list goes on and on and on.…”