Officials from the American Trucking Associations Friday met with President Bush and top economic advisors, offering their support for the President's $1.6 billion tax plan as "a spur to the nation's economic growth."

In a meeting of business leaders with the President, Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill, and Chief Economic Advisor Lawrence Lindsey, ATA President and CEO Walter B. McCormick Jr. said the trucking industry is committed to advancing the President's goal of "returning hard-earned wages to the American worker."
McCormick delivered a letter of support from ATA to President Bush, saying that the tax relief plan would translate into more job security for the nearly 9.7 million men and women working in trucking-related jobs.
"As the industry initially affected by a downturn in the economy, trucking was one of the first to witness a slowdown and we have not yet witnessed a rebound," McCormick said in his letter. "Therefore, we have been very concerned about the continuing softness in the economy and we know that action is necessary."