Kay Bailey Hutchison: “Mr. President, I have been watching the debate intermittently this afternoon on the issue of trucks under the NAFTA…”

“Mr. President, I have been watching the debate intermittently this afternoon on the issue of trucks under the NAFTA agreement. I am really amazed that we are having this debate because I don't think there should be a question at all that we are going to make the safety of our highways the highest priority. I don't think anything in NAFTA says you can't. NAFTA does say that we will agree there is parity among Canada, the United States, and Mexico. There are ways to implement the differences in safety rules through negotiations. But the idea that we would give up the right to control the safety of our highways is a nonstarter. I think we are very close in agreement on what those safety requirements should be. I think the administration and the Department of Transportation have been sitting at the table with many of us who are debating this issue. I think we are very close in substance with Senator Gramm, Senator McCain, Senator Murray, and Senator Shelby. Everyone has been involved in the process. I think we all agree that we have the ability for safe highways, to assure that we have safety on our highways, and that we are going to be evenhanded. I really think what we are talking about is process. We are really talking about when we come to that determination.”