Governors take turn asking Biden, Trudeau to exempt truckers

Several U.S. governors and Canadian premiers are the latest to ask President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to exempt truck drivers from their cross-border vaccine mandates.

“We are writing to request that you immediately reinstate the vaccine and quarantine exemptions available to cross-border truck drivers,” the 18 leaders from the United States and Canada wrote on Wednesday, Feb. 16. “We understand the vital importance of vaccines in the fight against COVID-19 and continue to encourage eligible individuals to get vaccinated. However, we are deeply concerned that terminating these exemptions has had demonstrably negative impacts on the North American supply chain, the cost of living and access to essential products for people in both of our countries.”

I have joined with other Governors and Canadian Premiers to request that President Biden and Prime Minister Trudeau immediately reinstate exemptions from vaccine and quarantine requirements for cross border truck drivers. pic.twitter.com/1g9ByqR5bo

— Governor Mike Parson (@GovParsonMO) February 16, 2022

The United States and Canada each have mandates blocking unvaccinated foreign nationals, including truck drivers, from crossing the border. Canada’s mandate, which requires U.S. truckers to show proof of vaccination before entering the country, went into effect Jan. 15. The U.S. mandate, which requires foreign cross-border truckers to be vaccinated, started Jan. 22.

“The timing of your decision to terminate the vaccine and quarantine exemptions could not have been worse, as North America already faces grave supply chain constraints,” the letter stated. “These constraints, combined with increasing inflation, place significant burdens on the residents of Canada and the United States.”

The letter was signed by:

• Alberta Premier Jason Kenney
• Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe
• Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey
• Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy
• Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson
• Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp
• Idaho Gov. Brad Little
• Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds
• Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves
• Missouri Gov. Mike Parson
• Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte
• Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts
• North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum
• South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster
• South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem
• Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee
• Utah Gov. Spencer Cox
• Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon

The U.S. governors and Canadian premiers are not the first to ask Biden and Trudeau to exempt truckers from the mandate.

Rosendale letter

Earlier this week, Rep. Matt Rosendale, R-Mont., drafted a letter to Biden and Trudeau and urged other members of Congress to sign on.

“The mandates are causing major disruptions to the trucking industry and triggering ripple effects through the U.S. economy,” Rosendale wrote.

OOIDA letter

On Feb. 7, the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association wrote to Biden and Trudeau and also asked them to end the mandate for truckers.

“The decision by your administration and the Canadian government is not only impacting truck drivers, but it also hurts American agriculture and countless industries across our nation. Many farmers and ranchers rely on Canada for agricultural inputs and other products. Families, in northern states especially, rely on Canada for fuel such as propane to heat their home this winter. The recently implemented vaccine requirement is disrupting the transport of essential products to the American people who rely on them.”

Daines letter

Before the mandates took effect, Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., and 13 other senators wrote to Biden asking for the United States and Canada to establish a reciprocal policy for cross-border truckers that does not include a vaccine mandate.

“Despite the good intentions underpinning this action, we fear that the imposition of vaccine mandates as a requirement to cross the land border will exacerbate the existing challenges facing our freight networks and supply chain and could further fuel inflation and rising prices on top of what Americans are already seeing,” the senators wrote. “Our nation’s truck drivers worked diligently during the pandemic to facilitate critical cross-border freight movements that helped to feed and clothe American communities. Now, implementing these policies could cost them their jobs.” LL