March 9, 2005 3:00 PM, EST

House Begins Debate on Highway Bill Reauthorization

Administration Backs $284 Bln. Limit, Existing HOS Rules

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ouse members began debate on provisions of a six-year highway reauthorization bill Wednesday, including consideration of efforts to amend federal hours-of-service rules for truck drivers.

The Bush administration issued a statement through the Office and Management and Budget stating that the measure "must not exceed $283.9 billion over six years," the amount proposed in H.R. 3, the bill being debated.

The policy statement also backed the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's existing HOS rules.

Debate on various amendments to the bill continued Thursday.

Rep. James Oberstar (D- Minn.) spoke in opposition to several members' attempts to amend HOS rules, including one for oil and gas workers that was defeated.

“We should not allow this chipping away at safety,” Oberstar, the ranking minority member on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, said on the House floor.

Rep. John Boozman (R-Ark.) withdrew his proposal that would have amended HOS rules to allow truck drivers a 16-hour workday as long as they take two-hour breaks during the day. Boozman's district includes the headquarters of retail giant Wal-Mart Stores.

The Teamsters union said in a statement it was "adamantly opposed" to any change in the hours-of-service rules, which were amended in January 2004 to allow drivers more driving time as long as they took more rest.

“I call on Congress to oppose this outrageous attempt to squeeze commercial drivers and put the public at risk,” Teamsters President James Hoffa said of the Boozman plan.

Joan Claybrook, president of the safety advocacy group Public Citizen, said Tuesday that under Boozman's plan drivers could have end up starting their workday at 8 a.m. and finishing at midnight, the Associated Press reported.

A federal court struck down the new HOS rules last summer after they were successfully challenged by Public Citizen and other groups. The existing rules will remain in effect until Sept. 30, after Congress intervened and included them in the most recent extension of the highway bill.

Current HOS rules allow 11 hours of driving in a 14 consecutive-hour period, while the previous ones allowed 10 hours of driving in a 15-hour work period, though drivers could log “off-duty” time not counted against the 15 hours.