By: Lucio, et al. S.C.R. No. 25
1-1 SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
1-2 WHEREAS, The current presidential administration has
1-3 indicated that it will allow Mexican trucks at least partial access
1-4 to U.S. highways beyond the commercial border zone that was
1-5 established in 1993 to limit the movement of Mexican trucks until
1-6 certain basic infrastructure and safety concerns had been
1-7 addressed; and
1-8 WHEREAS, The opening of the Texas border to Mexican trucks
1-9 will unfairly impact the three border transportation districts in
1-10 Pharr, Laredo, and El Paso without a commensurate increase in the
1-11 commitment of money by the federal government; and
1-12 WHEREAS, The Texas Senate Special Committee on Border Affairs
1-13 was given several study charges during the 1999-2000 interim,
1-14 including assessing the long-term intermodal transportation needs
1-15 of the Texas-Mexico border region, evaluating the planning and
1-16 capacity resources of the three Texas Department of Transportation
1-17 (TxDOT) border districts, and overseeing the implementation of
1-18 federal and state one-stop inspection stations to expedite trade
1-19 and traffic; and
1-20 WHEREAS, The senate committee reported that Texas border
1-21 crossings account for approximately 80 percent of United
1-22 States-Mexico truck traffic, but the state is awarded only 15
1-23 percent of the federal funds allocated for trade corridors;
1-24 information from TxDOT indicates that Texas receives considerably
2-1 less than its fair share of discretionary funds allocated by the
2-2 federal government; recent estimates by TxDOT indicate that, even
2-3 though Texas is the second largest state in the nation, the state
2-4 currently receives only 49 cents on the dollar in federal highway
2-5 discretionary program funds; and
2-6 WHEREAS, The border ports of entry are the primary gateway
2-7 for commerce for Texas and the nation but have become an economic
2-8 choke point as a result of the staggering volume of traffic they
2-9 must handle; in 1997, more than 2.8 million trucks crossed into and
2-10 from Mexico; and
2-11 WHEREAS, In July 1999, the General Accounting Office (GAO)
2-12 reported that NAFTA-related traffic along the border region has
2-13 taxed the local and regional transportation infrastructure and that
2-14 the resulting lines of traffic, which can run up to several miles
2-15 during peak periods, are associated with air pollution caused by
2-16 idling vehicles; and
2-17 WHEREAS, The GAO also cited federal and local officials'
2-18 concerns about congestion affecting safety around the ports of
2-19 entry and noted that congestion can have a negative impact on
2-20 businesses that operate on a just-in-time schedule and rely on
2-21 regular cross-border shipments of parts, supplies, and finished
2-22 products; and
2-23 WHEREAS, The senate committee reported that in the last
2-24 decade total northbound truck crossings, from Mexico into Texas,
2-25 increased by 215.8 percent, while vehicle crossings increased by 59
2-26 percent and pedestrian crossings by 18.5 percent; in that same
3-1 period, southbound truck crossings from Texas to Mexico increased
3-2 by 278.1 percent to 2.1 billion crossings, vehicle crossings by
3-3 53.9 percent to 37.9 million crossings, and pedestrian crossings by
3-4 30.8 percent to 18.5 million crossings; and
3-5 WHEREAS, According to some estimates, heavy truck traffic is
3-6 expected to increase by 85 percent during the next three decades
3-7 and severely degrade existing roads and bridges; according to TxDOT
3-8 officials, one fully loaded 18-wheel truck causes as much damage as
3-9 9,600 cars; with such a significant increase of trade and
3-10 cross-border activity in the border ports of entry and the border
3-11 transportation districts, state and federal leaders have cause for
3-12 concern about whether the current infrastructure can continue to
3-13 support Texas' economic growth and, in particular, trade with
3-14 Mexico; and
3-15 WHEREAS, The Texas Department of Economic Development (TDED)
3-16 reported last year that Mexico is Texas' largest export destination
3-17 and has been a chief contributor to the state's export growth; in
3-18 1999, exports to Mexico accounted for 45.5 percent of the state
3-19 total and were valued at $41.4 billion; and
3-20 WHEREAS, The TDED has concluded that Texas accounts for 20.8
3-21 percent of the total U.S. exports to the North American market,
3-22 largely because of very high export levels to Mexico; in recent
3-23 years, Mexico has become the nation's second largest market, and
3-24 Texas' ties to Mexico are the primary contributors to the state's
3-25 high share of overall U.S. exports; and
3-26 WHEREAS, The comptroller of public accounts of the State of
4-1 Texas has reported that exports account for 14 percent of our gross
4-2 state product, up from six percent in 1985; in 1999, $100 billion
4-3 in two-way truck trade passed through the Texas-Mexico border;
4-4 NAFTA economic activity has tripled on the border, and trade with
4-5 Mexico accounts for one in every five jobs in Texas; now,
4-6 therefore, be it
4-7 RESOLVED, That the 77th Legislature of the State of Texas
4-8 hereby respectfully urge the Congress of the United States and the
4-9 president of the United States, in light of the proposed change in
4-10 federal policy that will further open the border areas to Mexican
4-11 truck travel, to recognize the unique planning, capacity, and
4-12 infrastructure needs of Texas' border ports of entry and the
4-13 high-priority transportation corridors; and, be it further
4-14 RESOLVED, That the Texas Legislature request the congress and
4-15 the president to recognize the impact of this policy by earmarking
4-16 $3 billion to fund the construction of one-stop federal and state
4-17 inspection facilities that are open 24 hours per day along the
4-18 Texas border region, as well as to fund infrastructure improvements
4-19 and construction projects at border ports of entry; and, be it
4-20 further
4-21 RESOLVED, That the Texas Legislature urge the congress to
4-22 rectify the funding imbalance that Texas has historically
4-23 experienced from the federal government, as evident in the fact
4-24 that, although Texas handles 80 percent of all NAFTA-related
4-25 traffic and is the second largest state in the nation, it has been
4-26 awarded only 15 percent of the federal funds allocated for
5-1 high-priority trade corridors; and, be it further
5-2 RESOLVED, That the Texas Legislature request that the
5-3 congress and the president also increase the percentage in federal
5-4 discretionary money that Texas has historically received by
5-5 earmarking $4 billion for critical NAFTA-related planning,
5-6 capacity, and right-of-way acquisition needs and $3 billion for
5-7 immediate construction, maintenance, and planning needs for rural
5-8 roadways that are impacted by NAFTA-related traffic, as well as
5-9 those of emerging NAFTA-related corridors; and, be it further
5-10 RESOLVED, That the Texas Legislature urge the congress and
5-11 the president to reaffirm their commitment to public safety in
5-12 Texas as well as in the United States by earmarking $1 billion for
5-13 law enforcement needed to prepare for the influx of Mexican trucks
5-14 with access to travel throughout the border and beyond; and, be it
5-15 further
5-16 RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official
5-17 copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to
5-18 the speaker of the house of representatives and the president of
5-19 the senate of the United States Congress, and to all the members of
5-20 the Texas delegation to the congress with the request that this
5-21 resolution be officially entered in the Congressional Record as a
5-22 memorial to the Congress of the United States of America.