Press Releases

Today, Congressman Jim McGovern (MA-02), second-highest ranking Democrat on the House Rules Committee, spoke on the House floor to call for the defeat of policy riders in the Transportation-Housing and Urban Development (T-HUD) appropriations bill that put the trucking industry ahead of the health and safety of American travelers.

“In just the past four years, we have seen a dramatic 17 percent increase in the number of truck crash deaths and an alarming 28 percent increase in injuries. Instead of advancing safety measures to make our roads safer, Congress is about to roll back significant safety laws and regulations that will result in more deaths and injuries on our roads and highways,” Congressman McGovern said. “In fatal truck and car crashes, 96 percent of the fatalities are the occupants of the passenger car.

“Public opinion is clear: Americans do not want bigger trucks or tired truckers on the road. 76 percent of Americans opposed longer and heavier trucks and 80 percent opposed increasing truck driver working and driving hours,” McGovern added. “Making our roads less safe might be good policy for fundraising, but lousy policy for the safety of American people. We must remove these dangerous policy riders and ensure that this T-HUD bill is putting the safety of everyday Americans first.”

The full text of Congressman McGovern’s floor speech is below.

As Prepared For Delivery:

“Today, I want to highlight the big giveaways to the trucking industry in the T-HUD bill. This bill is loaded up with pet projects of the trucking industry that threaten the health and safety of the travelling public.

“This bill should be focused on strengthening America’s infrastructure – repairing crumbling bridges, investing in public transportation, and making our roads safer –  but instead puts the trucking industry in the driving seat, leaving the average American left behind.

“The bill would increase truck weights in Idaho and Kansas, allow twin 33 foot trailers on Interstates, delay full implementation of DOT’s hours of service rule which requires minimum rest periods for truckers, and prohibit DOT from increasing minimum insurance requirements for big trucks and motor coaches.

“With all that we know today, it is simply outrageous that we would allow bigger and heavier trucks on our highways. Today’s bill is intended specifically to appropriate funds, not authorize new policy. Yet this is exactly what these policy riders are doing. They don’t belong on this bill.

“Furthermore, there was not a single hearing on these trucking riders. These issues are important enough that they should be openly debated as part of a comprehensive surface transportation authorization bill, not tacked on to an appropriations bill. They don’t belong here, but this process has become so corrupted that anything goes.

“Making these controversial policy changes before DOT finishes their comprehensive truck size and weight study that was required by MAP-21, would be irresponsible. We should allow DOT the time it needs to get their study right.

“Simply put, these trucking industry riders will make our highways less safe at a time when our infrastructure funding is woefully inadequate and our roads and bridges are crumbling.

“In just the past four years, we have seen a dramatic 17 percent increase in the number of truck crash deaths and an alarming 28 percent increase in injuries. Instead of advancing safety measures to make our roads safer, Congress is about to roll back significant safety laws and regulations that will result in more deaths and injuries on our roads and highways. In fatal truck and car crashes, 96 percent of the fatalities are the occupants of the passenger car.

“Public opinion is clear: Americans do not want bigger trucks or tired truckers on the road. 76 percent of Americans opposed longer and heavier trucks and 80 percent opposed increasing truck driver working and driving hours. Making our roads less safe might be good policy for fundraising, but lousy policy for the safety of American people.

“We must remove these dangerous policy riders and ensure that this T-HUD bill is putting the safety of everyday Americans first.

“Sooner or later all these restrictions are going to either be negotiated out of the bills or into more flexible language, or they will land on President's desk and face a veto.

“I urge my colleagues to oppose this rule and the underlying appropriations legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.” 

###