The Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure voted to adopt by a vote of 37 yeas to 26 nays the amendment sponsored by Reps. Garcia (D-IL), Espaillat (D-NY), Cohen (D-TN), and Johnson (D-GA) raising the level of minimum insurance required for motor carriers from $750,000 to $2,000,000.
This increase was long overdue. After nearly 40 years of no change, families of victims and survivors suffering post-crash trauma and financial hardship due to deaths and serious injuries caused by truck crashes will finally have more resources to cover their substantial medical and economic costs. It has been a very long and hard fight. TSC appreciates your help in calling Members of Congress to urge them to support the amendment.
A huge thanks to Chairman DeFazio (D-OR) who supported the amendment and argued persuasively for its enactment in addition to the Members who sponsored the amendment and fought hard for its adoption. We are so appreciative of those 37 Members who stood with the families and voted “yes”. This is a major victory for our truck safety supporters and the truck crash families who shared their personal stories about the emotional and economic impacts of truck crashes.
The Committee will continue debating the bill tonight and tomorrow and many more amendments will be offered. Here is a brief tally of some other important votes today on amendments impacting truck safety that TSC opposed.
Defeated: An amendment offered by Rep. Perry (R-PA) to strike from the bill a provision mandating DOT to issue a safety standard requiring automatic emergency braking (AEB) for new trucks was defeated.
Defeated: An amendment offered by Rep. Pence (R-IN) to suspend the federal ELD (electronic logging devices) requirement for ag/livestock/insect haulers.
Defeated: An amendment offered by Rep. Bost (R-IL) to strike from the bill a provision which will delay the Administration's implementation of changes to the current Hours of Service rule resulting in more work and less rest time.
Passed: A special interest amendment offered by Rep. Brown (D-MD) allowing an increase in axle weight for haulers of dry bulk goods.
Finally, to our volunteers and other friends who joined us in contacting Committee Members, sharing your personal stories and passion for passage of this long-awaited policy change, thank you for not giving up. This is a significant achievement for truck safety.
Thank you for caring about truck safety,
Your Safety Colleagues From
Citizens For Reliable And Safe Highways (CRASH) and
Parents Against Tired Truckers (P.A.T.T.) at the
TRUCK SAFETY COALITION
700 Pennsylvania Ave., SE
Suite 200
Washington, DC 20003
202-921-9526
No comments:
Post a Comment