[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Page 16748]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                      TRUCK DRIVERS ACT OF HEROISM

 Mr. BURNS. Mr. President, today I would like to take the 
opportunity to say a few words of praise for an act of heroism 
displayed by a couple of long haul truckers earlier this month in my 
home state of Montana.
  I came to the floor today to not only praise the good deed but to 
also support a mode of transportation that supports the economy of 
Montana and the entire nation.
  As I have said, earlier this month in my home state of Montana a pair 
of truckers rescued four people from a car that had overturned in a 
ditch filled with flood water. The car, containing three people, was 
submerged underwater for at least three minutes after skidding off an 
eastern Montana highway during a flash flood which left only the car's 
tires above water.
  Luckily for the passengers, a truck driver stopped just past the 
overturned car. The trucker backed his trailer off the road and over 
the bank risking his own safety and property. After securing a chain 
around the bumper of his trailer, he waded into the water, secured the 
other end around the car and pulled it back up onto the road. A second 
truck driver also stopped to assist.
  I would like to recognize these unknown individuals for their 
heroism. Too often we take our nation's truckers for granted. It is 
continually becoming more and more difficult to make a living as a long 
haul trucker in this country considering fuel prices and regulatory 
factors. The high cost of fuel has hit this industry especially hard.
  A proposal to drastically alter a trucker's drive and rest periods is 
being considered by the Administration. This proposal threatens not 
only to increase the costs of long haul truckers, it also threatens to 
keep them away from their families for longer durations. I think it is 
about time we take a long hard look at the important role these 
truckers play in our daily lives.
  Whether it's a delivery to our local grocery or the transport of 
petroleum products, these truckers sacrifice time away from their 
families to make our lives easier and better. Mr. President, I would 
like to ask my colleagues to join me to ensure any hours of service 
proposal accomplishes three important goals: Ensure safety on our 
nation's highways; ensure truckers are not burdened with additional 
costs; and ensure the final ruling will allow truckers to spend more of 
their non-driving time at home with their families. The current 
proposal fails miserably to address these matters.
  Again, I would like to personally thank and commend the two 
individual truckers for their heroism, but also commend all truckers 
for their hard work and dedication to safety on our highways.
  Thank you, Mr. President, I yield the floor.

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