WASHINGTON, D.C. — The following statement was issued today by Sonny Hall, President of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO, in the wake of the Senate blocking consideration of an over-the-road bus security bill.
“I am stunned and appalled to hear that the Republican leadership of the U.S. Senate has blocked consideration of common-sense bus security legislation. This is simply unconsciable.
“Just days after yet another violent assault on a Greyhound driver, the Senate had a chance to vote on a bill by Senator Max Cleland (D-GA) to provide badly needed assistance to help the bus industry better meet these threats. But a secret “hold” by a anonymous Republican Senator has stopped final action on this legislation, which was reported unanimously out of committee in April and has been held up for too long. This appears to be typical election year politicking. But this has nothing to do with elections – it has everything to do with the safety and security of our bus transportation system. These shameful tactics must stop.
“Do any U.S. Senators actually believe that the people who come to work every day to drive a Greyhound bus really care whether it is a Republican or a Democrat who gets the credit for passing this long-overdue bill? For these men and women, this is their workplace. They have a right to come home safely at the end of the day. But in response to the horrific attack on a Greyhound driver whose throat was slashed last Monday in California, all we get is politics as usual.
“50 passengers were on board that Los Angeles to San Francisco bus the other night. Odds are most weren’t thinking about politics. They were all probably just trying to get where they were going. But two of them died and 27 more were wounded and hospitalized. These 50 passengers and the 774 million others who travel this way each year deserve better.
“The Cleland bill and its House counterpart authored by Representatives James Oberstar (D-MN) and Don Young (R-AK) will make great strides in closing the gaping holes in the security of bus transportation. We urge the House and the Senate to complete these bills before they adjourn for the fall elections.”
TTD represents 35 member unions in the bus, transit, aviation, trucking, highway, rail, longshore, maritime and related industries. For more information, see www.ttd.org.