[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 81 (Thursday, May 12, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2478-S2479]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                 Mexico

  Mr. TUBERVILLE. Mr. President, I rise today to speak about what I 
believe are unlawful actions taken by the Government of Mexico against 
Vulcan Materials Company, which is headquartered in Birmingham, AL.
  Vulcan is the Nation's largest producer of construction aggregates, 
primarily crushed stone, sand, and gravel.
  Vulcan is also a major producer of aggregates-based construction 
materials like asphalt and ready-mixed concrete.
  The materials produced by Vulcan are used in nearly all forms of 
construction, like infrastructure repairs to bridges or roads or when a 
new office building is being built.
  While headquartered in Alabama, Vulcan has 720 facilities and more 
than 12,000 employees across the United States.
  Its reach is also international. Vulcan has operated a quarry in the 
Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico since the 1980s. The quarry supplies 
aggregates to Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, 
and Texas. Vulcan has quarried limestone legally in Mexico on land that 
it owns for over 30 years. It has full ownership of its property in 
Mexico and owns the limestone reserves on the property. Vulcan also 
operates the only deepwater port on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. 
Vulcan operates that port because Vulcan built that port.
  Furthermore, it is my understanding that Vulcan has always complied 
with Mexican law and permitting, which is why I was shocked to hear 
Mexican

[[Page S2479]]

President Lopez Obrador announce that he would pursue legal actions to 
close Vulcan's operations. His baseless claim is that the company is 
operating illegally in Mexico after 30 years. That statement is 
categorically false.
  Unfortunately, President Obrador followed through with his threat for 
legal action. Last week, Mexican Government officials unexpectedly 
presented local Vulcan employees with orders to immediately cease 
operations on Vulcan's own land in Mexico. I believe this shutdown, 
ordered by the President of Mexico, represents a baseless attack on a 
U.S. company and demonstrates a disregard for the rule of law.
  But even before shutdown orders were issued, Vulcan was subject to 
public harassment and intimidation tactics from the President of 
Mexico, including the Mexican Navy sending troops to the entrance of 
the Vulcan facility for the last several days before last week, the 
Mexican Navy flying Blackhawk helicopters and drones over Vulcan's 
property, the Mexican Navy sending patrol boats to Vulcan's harbor, and 
the Mexican Government withholding the issuance of a routine customs 
permit from January through mid-February.
  These actions by the President and Mexican Government are contrary to 
the most basic principles of international law and the free-trade 
agreements that bind our two countries together. These actions also go 
against the objectives and principles jointly set by the U.S. and 
Mexican Governments as part of the high-level economic dialogue 
established in September of 2021.
  However, President Obrador's attack on Vulcan is bigger than just one 
company. It undermines the rule of law in Mexico, ignores international 
law and free-trade agreements, weakens our bilateral relationship, and 
will discourage future U.S. investments in Mexico.
  We have all heard about the actions President Lopez Obrador has 
attempted to take against U.S. energy companies in Mexico. This latest 
action is an example of just how far he is willing to go.
  These actions will also have a direct impact on the supply chain for 
major infrastructure projects in the United States. We cannot allow 
this to stand.
  Back in February, Senator Shelby and I wrote Secretary Blinken to 
express alarm over actions Mexico was taking against Vulcan. It turns 
out we were right to be concerned. So I urge the Biden administration 
to take appropriate action in order to ensure Vulcan, a great American 
company, is able to maintain critical operations in the country of 
Mexico.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.