In a letter to the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Transportation, advocacy groups said that a July 14 meeting between the head of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and trucking industry representatives might have violated proper procedure and ethics.
The U.S. Department of Transportation denies any impropriety with the meeting.
The letter came from Public Citizen, Parents Against Tired Truckers, Citizens for Reliable and Safe Highways and the Trauma Foundation. It said the meeting had “a significant impact on the integrity of a federal agency and the conduct of official government business.”
The groups believe the meeting was designed to plan amendments to the pending H.R. 3 highway bill that would count daily break time as off-duty time. This hours-of-service change would extend the driver’s workday to 16 hours. This amendment was withdrawn on the House floor because of major opposition, and the groups do not want to see it sneak back into the bill thanks to backroom politics.
Federal law prohibits appropriated federal funds from being used to pay for actions intended to influence a member of Congress. The groups said that private meetings held between agency officials and stakeholders regarding pending rule issues at the very least violate both the Administrative Procedures Act and DOT regulations, and could constitute an ethical violation.
In a prepared statement, DOT said, “The Department’s view on this public policy issue is well known. Since last year, we have argued for our position in court; advocated for our proposal in Congress at hearings, in letters and at meetings; and made clear our approach when meeting with stakeholders about our plans. Throughout the entire process, we have operated within the statutory and ethical guidelines that govern such activities.”
“Lawmakers have a golden opportunity to dramatically improve vehicle safety,” said Public Citizen President Joan Claybrook. “They have an obligation to the country to enact these critical and long-overdue provisions.”
