1-1 By: Lucio, et al. S.C.R. No. 25 1-2 (In the Senate - Filed February 12, 2001; February 13, 2001, 1-3 read first time and referred to Committee on Business and Commerce; 1-4 February 26, 2001, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 1-5 6, Nays 0; February 26, 2001, sent to printer.) 1-6 SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 1-7 WHEREAS, The current presidential administration has 1-8 indicated that it will allow Mexican trucks at least partial access 1-9 to U.S. highways beyond the commercial border zone that was 1-10 established in 1993 to limit the movement of Mexican trucks until 1-11 certain basic infrastructure and safety concerns had been 1-12 addressed; and 1-13 WHEREAS, The opening of the Texas border to Mexican trucks 1-14 will unfairly impact the three border transportation districts in 1-15 Pharr, Laredo, and El Paso without a commensurate increase in the 1-16 commitment of money by the federal government; and 1-17 WHEREAS, The Texas Senate Special Committee on Border Affairs 1-18 was given several study charges during the 1999-2000 interim, 1-19 including assessing the long-term intermodal transportation needs 1-20 of the Texas-Mexico border region, evaluating the planning and 1-21 capacity resources of the three Texas Department of Transportation 1-22 (TxDOT) border districts, and overseeing the implementation of 1-23 federal and state one-stop inspection stations to expedite trade 1-24 and traffic; and 1-25 WHEREAS, The senate committee reported that Texas border 1-26 crossings account for approximately 80 percent of United 1-27 States-Mexico truck traffic, but the state is awarded only 15 1-28 percent of the federal funds allocated for trade corridors; 1-29 information from TxDOT indicates that Texas receives considerably 1-30 less than its fair share of discretionary funds allocated by the 1-31 federal government; recent estimates by TxDOT indicate that, even 1-32 though Texas is the second largest state in the nation, the state 1-33 currently receives only 49 cents on the dollar in federal highway 1-34 discretionary program funds; and 1-35 WHEREAS, The border ports of entry are the primary gateway 1-36 for commerce for Texas and the nation but have become an economic 1-37 choke point as a result of the staggering volume of traffic they 1-38 must handle; in 1997, more than 2.8 million trucks crossed into and 1-39 from Mexico; and 1-40 WHEREAS, In July 1999, the General Accounting Office (GAO) 1-41 reported that NAFTA-related traffic along the border region has 1-42 taxed the local and regional transportation infrastructure and that 1-43 the resulting lines of traffic, which can run up to several miles 1-44 during peak periods, are associated with air pollution caused by 1-45 idling vehicles; and 1-46 WHEREAS, The GAO also cited federal and local officials' 1-47 concerns about congestion affecting safety around the ports of 1-48 entry and noted that congestion can have a negative impact on 1-49 businesses that operate on a just-in-time schedule and rely on 1-50 regular cross-border shipments of parts, supplies, and finished 1-51 products; and 1-52 WHEREAS, The senate committee reported that in the last 1-53 decade total northbound truck crossings, from Mexico into Texas, 1-54 increased by 215.8 percent, while vehicle crossings increased by 59 1-55 percent and pedestrian crossings by 18.5 percent; in that same 1-56 period, southbound truck crossings from Texas to Mexico increased 1-57 by 278.1 percent to 2.1 billion crossings, vehicle crossings by 1-58 53.9 percent to 37.9 million crossings, and pedestrian crossings by 1-59 30.8 percent to 18.5 million crossings; and 1-60 WHEREAS, According to some estimates, heavy truck traffic is 1-61 expected to increase by 85 percent during the next three decades 1-62 and severely degrade existing roads and bridges; according to TxDOT 1-63 officials, one fully loaded 18-wheel truck causes as much damage as 1-64 9,600 cars; with such a significant increase of trade and 2-1 cross-border activity in the border ports of entry and the border 2-2 transportation districts, state and federal leaders have cause for 2-3 concern about whether the current infrastructure can continue to 2-4 support Texas' economic growth and, in particular, trade with 2-5 Mexico; and 2-6 WHEREAS, The Texas Department of Economic Development (TDED) 2-7 reported last year that Mexico is Texas' largest export destination 2-8 and has been a chief contributor to the state's export growth; in 2-9 1999, exports to Mexico accounted for 45.5 percent of the state 2-10 total and were valued at $41.4 billion; and 2-11 WHEREAS, The TDED has concluded that Texas accounts for 20.8 2-12 percent of the total U.S. exports to the North American market, 2-13 largely because of very high export levels to Mexico; in recent 2-14 years, Mexico has become the nation's second largest market, and 2-15 Texas' ties to Mexico are the primary contributors to the state's 2-16 high share of overall U.S. exports; and 2-17 WHEREAS, The comptroller of public accounts of the State of 2-18 Texas has reported that exports account for 14 percent of our gross 2-19 state product, up from six percent in 1985; in 1999, $100 billion 2-20 in two-way truck trade passed through the Texas-Mexico border; 2-21 NAFTA economic activity has tripled on the border, and trade with 2-22 Mexico accounts for one in every five jobs in Texas; now, 2-23 therefore, be it 2-24 RESOLVED, That the 77th Legislature of the State of Texas 2-25 hereby respectfully urge the Congress of the United States and the 2-26 president of the United States, in light of the proposed change in 2-27 federal policy that will further open the border areas to Mexican 2-28 truck travel, to recognize the unique planning, capacity, and 2-29 infrastructure needs of Texas' border ports of entry and the 2-30 high-priority transportation corridors; and, be it further 2-31 RESOLVED, That the Texas Legislature request the congress and 2-32 the president to recognize the impact of this policy by earmarking 2-33 $3 billion to fund the construction of one-stop federal and state 2-34 inspection facilities that are open 24 hours per day along the 2-35 Texas border region, as well as to fund infrastructure improvements 2-36 and construction projects at border ports of entry; and, be it 2-37 further 2-38 RESOLVED, That the Texas Legislature urge the congress to 2-39 rectify the funding imbalance that Texas has historically 2-40 experienced from the federal government, as evident in the fact 2-41 that, although Texas handles 80 percent of all NAFTA-related 2-42 traffic and is the second largest state in the nation, it has been 2-43 awarded only 15 percent of the federal funds allocated for 2-44 high-priority trade corridors; and, be it further 2-45 RESOLVED, That the Texas Legislature request that the 2-46 congress and the president also increase the percentage in federal 2-47 discretionary money that Texas has historically received by 2-48 earmarking $4 billion for critical NAFTA-related planning, 2-49 capacity, and right-of-way acquisition needs and $3 billion for 2-50 immediate construction, maintenance, and planning needs for rural 2-51 roadways that are impacted by NAFTA-related traffic, as well as 2-52 those of emerging NAFTA-related corridors; and, be it further 2-53 RESOLVED, That the Texas Legislature urge the congress and 2-54 the president to reaffirm their commitment to public safety in 2-55 Texas as well as in the United States by earmarking $1 billion for 2-56 law enforcement needed to prepare for the influx of Mexican trucks 2-57 with access to travel throughout the border and beyond; and, be it 2-58 further 2-59 RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official 2-60 copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to 2-61 the speaker of the house of representatives and the president of 2-62 the senate of the United States Congress, and to all the members of 2-63 the Texas delegation to the congress with the request that this 2-64 resolution be officially entered in the Congressional Record as a 2-65 memorial to the Congress of the United States of America. 2-66 * * * * *