<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:st1="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"
xmlns:ns1="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml">
<head>
<META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 11 (filtered medium)">
<o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"
name="place"/>
<o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"
name="country-region"/>
<!--[if !mso]>
<style>
st1\:*{behavior:url(#default#ieooui) }
</style>
<![endif]-->
<style>
<!--h1
{mso-style-priority:9;}
h2
{mso-style-priority:9;}
a:link
{mso-style-priority:99;}
span.MSOHYPERLINK
{mso-style-priority:99;}
a:visited
{mso-style-priority:99;}
span.MSOHYPERLINKFOLLOWED
{mso-style-priority:99;}
strong
{mso-style-priority:22;}
p
{mso-style-priority:99;}
p.MSOLISTPARAGRAPH
{mso-style-priority:34;}
li.MSOLISTPARAGRAPH
{mso-style-priority:34;}
div.MSOLISTPARAGRAPH
{mso-style-priority:34;}
span.HEADING1CHAR
{mso-style-priority:9;}
span.HEADING2CHAR
{mso-style-priority:9;}
p.SMALLFOOTER
{mso-style-priority:99;}
li.SMALLFOOTER
{mso-style-priority:99;}
div.SMALLFOOTER
{mso-style-priority:99;}
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Cambria;
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin-top:0in;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:10.0pt;
margin-left:0in;
line-height:115%;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:Calibri;}
h1
{mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:24.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
font-weight:bold;}
h2
{mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:18.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
font-weight:bold;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{color:purple;
text-decoration:underline;}
strong
{font-family:"Times New Roman";}
p
{mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";}
span.Heading1Char
{font-family:Cambria;
color:#365F91;
font-weight:bold;}
span.Heading2Char
{font-family:Cambria;
color:#4F81BD;
font-weight:bold;}
p.msolistparagraph, li.msolistparagraph, div.msolistparagraph
{margin-top:0in;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:10.0pt;
margin-left:.5in;
line-height:115%;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:Calibri;}
p.smallfooter, li.smallfooter, div.smallfooter
{mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";}
span.EmailStyle23
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:Calibri;
color:#1F497D;}
span.EmailStyle24
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:Calibri;
color:#1F497D;}
span.EmailStyle25
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:Calibri;
color:#1F497D;}
span.EmailStyle26
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:Calibri;
color:#1F497D;}
span.EmailStyle27
{mso-style-type:personal-reply;
font-family:Arial;
color:navy;}
@page Section1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.Section1
{page:Section1;}
-->
</style>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
</head>
<body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple>
<div class=Section1>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Calibri><span style='font-size:
11.0pt;line-height:115%;color:navy'>Please alert your congressional delegation
to this Dear Colleague letter and congressional sign-on opportunity, which the
Teamsters support.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Calibri><span style='font-size:
11.0pt;line-height:115%;color:navy'>In Solid,<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Calibri><span style='font-size:
11.0pt;line-height:115%;color:navy'>Mike Dolan, IBT<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<h1 align=center style='text-align:center'><b><font size=6
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:24.0pt'>Remove the Mexican
Tariffs by Renegotiating NAFTA<font color=navy><span style='color:navy'>’</span></font>s
Cross Border Truck Program<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></h1>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:normal'><font size=3 color=black
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";
color:black'>
March 9,
2010</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:normal'><font size=3 color=black
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";
color:black'> </span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:normal'><font size=3 color=black
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";
color:black'>Dear Colleague:</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:normal'><font size=3 color=black
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";
color:black'> You may recall the overwhelming Congressional rejection of
the Mexican truck </span></font><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"'>cross-border
demonstration program. Congress – with 411 votes <b><span
style='font-weight:bold'>-</span></b> rejected this program in 2007 and again
in 2008 and 2009. Sadly, under the guise of NAFTA, the Mexican government
responded by slapping $2.4 billion in tariffs on American exports to <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Mexico</st1:place></st1:country-region>. I do
not believe Congress will reverse course under threat of these excessive,
arbitrary, and political tariffs.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:normal'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"'> However,
we cannot sit idle and let <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Mexico</st1:place></st1:country-region>
undercut our economy. Please join me by signing the below letter calling for
the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region>
to renegotiate Article 1202 of NAFTA, to eliminate the requirement to open our
borders to Mexican trucks. I believe this is the easiest way to eliminate
these tariffs. Please contact Auke Mahar-Piersma to sign this letter at
5-6416.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:normal'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"'> </span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:2.0in;text-indent:.5in;line-height:normal'><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"'>Sincerely,</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:2.5in;line-height:normal'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"'><br>
<br>
Peter DeFazio</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:2.0in;text-indent:.5in;line-height:normal'><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"'>Member
of Congress</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman"'>March, XX 2010</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman"'>Dear Secretary LaHood
and Ambassador Kirk:</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman"'>Last week you received a
letter from 56 Members of Congress stressing the need to resolve the
retaliatory Mexican tariffs stemming from Congress’s overwhelming
rejection of the cross-border demonstration program. We wholeheartedly
agree that the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region>
must find a way to eliminate these excessive, arbitrary, and political tariffs.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman"'>However, we caution the
Administration that we firmly believe it would be difficult, if not impossible,
to receive Congressional support for a cross-border trucking program that
allows tens of thousands of Mexican trucks traveling across the lower 48
states. NAFTA does not bind the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region> to accept subpar safety
standards, and Congress is not going to waive our rights under NAFTA. We are
entitled to require comparable or better standards for safety from Mexican
trucking companies. Their standards are not even close to equivalent to U.S
safety requirements. The addition of tens of thousands of substandard
Mexican trucks to our roads would jeopardize the safety of our traveling
public.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman"'>Given these constraints,
we offer you a solution that has a greater likelihood of success. We believe
the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region>
should renegotiate Article 1202 of NAFTA, <i><span style='font-style:italic'>National
Treatment of Cross-Border Trade in Services</span></i>, to eliminate the
requirement to open our borders to Mexican trucks. This would remedy all
the truck safety, homeland security, and unemployment issues associated with
this long standing trade dispute. A successful renegotiation would also
eliminate retaliatory tariffs, which are negatively impacting our export
markets.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman"'>The current system works
well. US trucking firms have testified they have no desire to enter <st1:country-region
w:st="on">Mexico</st1:country-region> and become a prized target in the ongoing
drug war in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Mexico</st1:place></st1:country-region>.
They have raised legitimate concerns about hijackings, extortion and
theft. They are confident the existing current 20 mile commercial border
zone is superior to the proposed full cross border program.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman"'>As the following
timeline demonstrates, Congress has repeatedly and overwhelmingly rejected the
cross-border program because it failed to adequately protect Americans from
unsafe Mexican trucking standards. In a Congress that rarely agrees on
anything, this issue has unified Democrats and Republicans on both sides of the
Hill.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=msolistparagraph style='text-indent:-.25in'><font size=2
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;
font-family:"Times New Roman"'>In May of 2007, the House voted overwhelmingly,
411-3, to pass H.R. 1773, the Safe American Roads Act of 2007. This
legislation would have imposed additional restrictions on the cross-border
demonstration program and ensured that DOT establish a process to analyze the
impact of allowing Mexican trucks on our nation's roadways before the border is
permanently opened Then<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>-</span></b>Representative
LaHood voted for this bill. Provisions were also included in the </span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=msolistparagraph style='text-indent:-.25in'><font size=2
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;
font-family:"Times New Roman"'>The FY 2007 Iraq War Supplemental spending bill
(P.L. 110-28) included strict measures to ensure that the demonstration program
adhered to safety and security guidelines and required that its progress be
assessed by an independent panel. </span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=msolistparagraph style='text-indent:-.25in'><font size=2
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;
font-family:"Times New Roman"'>In 2008, both the House and Senate both passed
amendments to the FY 2008 Transportation spending bill to prohibit the use of
federal funds to implement the Cross Border Truck Safety Inspection
Program. Both then-Senator Obama and Representative LaHood supported
these amendments. Ultimately, the prohibition was included in the FY 2008
Omnibus Appropriations Act (P.L. 110-161). </span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=msolistparagraph style='text-indent:-.25in'><font size=2
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;
font-family:"Times New Roman"'>Finally Congress terminated the cross-border
demonstration program in the FY2009 Omnibus Appropriations Act (P.L. 111-8).
</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman"'>Congress has repeatedly
objected to the demonstration program because <st1:country-region w:st="on">Mexico</st1:country-region>
has not met <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region>
safety standards. Mexican access to U.S roadways is dependent on carriers
proving they meet <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region>
safety standards regarding hours of service, driver training, licensing, drug
testing and vehicle safety. However, repeated studies by the U.S.
Department of Transportation's (DOT) own Inspector General (IG) show that
neither <st1:country-region w:st="on">Mexico</st1:country-region>'s carrier
truck fleet nor its driver licensing and safety rules meet the requirements of <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region> law. </span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt;
line-height:115%'>The </span></font><font face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-family:"Times New Roman"'>cross-border demonstration program<strong><b><font
face="Times New Roman"> </font></b></strong>was a poor test of the true level
of safety that will be seen among <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Mexico</st1:place></st1:country-region> domiciled carriers if the
border is opened. The DOT IG’s February, 2009 report found that the
low rate of participation in long haul operations among Mexican carriers
“was not adequate to provide statistically valid findings that will allow
FMCSA to project safety performance of the pool of applicants for long haul
operating authority.” Further, the IG found that
“participants were not representative of Mexican carriers likely to
conduct long-haul operations” in terms of certain business
characteristics and in terms of safety history. Specifically, vehicle and
driver out-of-service rates for pilot program participants were lower, by a
statistically significant margin, than other Mexican carriers that currently
operate in the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">United States</st1:place></st1:country-region>
in the commercial zone or under grandfather rights. In other words, the
IG substantiated the fact that DOT cherry picked the safest carriers to
participate in the pilot.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman"'>Removing the cross
border trucking provision from NAFTA will also prevent more job losses at a
time when we can least afford them. Should the border be fully opened to
Mexican trucks, the low wages of Mexican drivers will drive U.S trucking
companies out of business. This continues a disturbing trend of American job
losses through outsourcing. The difference is that we are allowing foreign
workers making foreign wages to enter our nation and unfairly compete for
American jobs. Opening our border to Mexican trucks is a lose-lose for <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region> workers
and the traveling public.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman"'>It is clear the easiest
path to eliminating the retaliatory Mexican tariffs is to renegotiate Article
1202. Thank you for your attention to our concerns and we look forward to
a prompt reply.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman"'>Sincerely,</span></font><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;
font-family:"Times New Roman"'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color="#1f497d" face=Calibri><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color="#1f497d" face=Calibri><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color="#1f497d" face=Calibri><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color="#1f497d" face=Calibri><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>