Ten Democratic senators want President Bush to reconsider his decision to comply with the North American Free Trade Agreement.

According to published reports, the senators wrote a letter to Bush Monday, expressing safety concerns with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's plan to allow Mexican truckers into the United States. They complain that the proposed plan, unveiled last month, would give Mexican trucking companies who qualified to operate in this country up to 18 months to pass a DOT safety audit.
Granting Mexican trucks access "could seriously jeopardize highway safety, road conditions and environmental quality," the letter said.
Bush pledged to honor NAFTA after an arbitration panel in February ruled that the United States was violating the treaty. The Clinton administration had blocked the cross-border provisions because of safety concerns and pressure from organized labor.
The letter was signed by Sens. John Kerry of Massachusetts, Max Baucus of Montana, Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico, Tom Harkin of Iowa, Tom Daschle of South Dakota, Ron Wyden of Oregon, Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts, Evan Bayh of Indiana, Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut and Richard Durbin of Illinois.