Our forefathers considered the possibility that one branch of government might become more powerful than the others. To prevent that from happening, a system of checks and balances was created. The Judiciary and Legislature have checks on the Executive branch and visa-versa. This system has worked well since 1789.

 

In December, Congress said funds could not be used by the Department of Transportation to establish a program that allows Mexican trucks to travel on American highways. However, the Department of Transportation went ahead with the program anyway, arguing about a legal technicality.

 

Now the third branch of government is involved. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments on February 12th. I am hopeful that they will uphold the rule of law and declare the program unlawful.

 

At the very least, the truck and its driver should meet the same high standards that we have in the United States. Those standards should include the same hours of service, driver background checks and vehicle safety inspections.

 

Supporters say that this rule will make it cheaper to ship goods between the countries. I do not believe we ought to jeopardize our security, simply because it’s good for business. We also should think about how this program will impact American jobs. There are many questions and they have not yet been answered.

 

The system of checks and balances is an important part of American government. Congress has an obligation to act whenever it feels that another branch of government has overstepped its bounds. 

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