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Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) sent a bipartisan letter signed by 78 Members of Congress Wednesday to Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk, asking that they consider repealing the program that opens U.S. roadways to Mexican trucks.

The program, suspended since early last year under the Obama administration, was begun under the Bush administration under the provisions of the 1993 North American Free Trade Agreement.

But Mexico “has no meaningful system for commercial driver’s licenses, drug testing or hours of service. . . . [NAFTA] is a trade agreement that threatens the safety of the American public,” DeFazio wrote.

DeFazio chairs the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee’s highways and transit subcommittee. The letter was also signed by Rep. James Oberstar (D-Minn.), who chairs the full committee.

LaHood and his Mexican counterpart earlier this week agreed to form a working group to consider the next steps of the two countries’ cross-border trucking program.

Todd Spencer, executive vice president of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, said in a statement that his group was pleased with DeFazio’s letter.

“Every year, U.S. truckers are burdened with new safety, security and environmental regulations. Those regulations come with considerable compliance costs,” Spencer said.

Last month, a group of 56 U.S. lawmakers urged the Obama administration to resolve the ongoing cross-border trucking dispute with Mexico they said has damaged bilateral trade.

Mexican trucks are allowed to operate in a zone of about 25 miles on the American side of the U.S.-Mexico border. Under the Bush administration, the Department of Transportation began a pilot program in 2007 to allow some Mexican carriers free access to all U.S. roads.

The Obama administration suspended that program in March 2009 and a group of Mexican carriers last year sued the U.S. for $6 billion for violating NAFTA provisions.