Harriet M. Hageman

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Mr. Speaker, I am here and we have gathered this evening to talk about Trucker Appreciation Week. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the unsung heroes who spend their days hauling the American Dream across our Nation's highways. America's truckers are the men and women who keep America moving. They drive for hours on end to make sure that our shelves are stocked. They rush in to deliver lifesaving supplies when disaster strikes. They keep our industries running by delivering the raw materials needed to build our country. Simply put, truckers are the reason Americans have and continue to live in an era of unprecedented prosperity. Unfortunately, our truckers face challenges from the lingering consequences of years of open borders and political leaders who flooded the Nation's highways with unqualified, foreign drivers who undercut our homegrown American labor. These new foreign drivers not only undermine wages and opportunities for American truckers but exacerbate the shortage of infrastructure to keep our goods moving. Worst of all, however, are the deadly crashes caused by these unqualified drivers who have been killing Americans, all of which have been made possible by the intentional decision of some to disregard commonsense Federal safety standards. The highway tragedies that have become so ubiquitous in the last couple of years have shone a spotlight on those collisions that could have been prevented but for the decisions by States like California, New York, and Illinois to unleash tens of thousands of unqualified drivers on our American freeways. These high-speed, 80,000-pound guided missiles have been barreling down our highways at 80 miles an hour, leaving way too many victims in their wake, and these illegally licensed drivers who have killed our fellow American residents simply have no business being on our roads. My home State of Wyoming, home to snow-covered and windswept highways built at elevations higher than the Sierra Nevada, suffers the highest rate of fatal truck crashes of any State. Threats to drivers anywhere are threats to families everywhere. The status quo is unacceptable, and it is time to prioritize our hardworking American truckers while keeping every motorist safe. I have introduced a series of bills to clean up our roads and crack down on bad actors who are exploiting loopholes in the system. I introduced the Commercial Motor Vehicle English Proficiency Act to require that all testing for commercial driver's licenses be administered in English. I also introduced Connor's Law with Representative Dave Taylor to codify the Trump administration's reinstatement of longstanding English proficiency requirements for anyone getting behind the wheel of a big rig. Understanding our national language to read our signs, adhere to warnings about hazardous conditions, and communicate with law enforcement should be the bare minimum to operate a commercial vehicle. I introduced the SAFE Act, included in this year's surface transportation reauthorization package, to enhance the ability of Federal regulators to effectively detect and crack down on chameleon carriers. Chameleon carriers are those that rack up safety violations yet continue to operate by adopting new identities to drive under the radar. The SAFE Act has been endorsed by nearly a dozen major industry advocates, including the American Trucking Association, Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, Teamsters, Truckload Carriers Association, Truck Safety Coalition, American Truckers United, National Tank Truck Carriers, Transportation Intermediaries Association, and American Bus Association. I also introduced the ROUTE Act to expand opportunities for young CDL holders to operate across State lines. Right now, an 18-year-old licensed to carry a load and travel 450 miles from Cheyenne to Jackson, Wyoming, is prohibited from making the same trip just 45 miles to Fort Collins, Colorado, because the latter journey crosses State lines. Easing nonsensical regulatory barriers will help bring more young people into a promising profession without the burden of a costly college degree. I most recently introduced the STOP Improper Licensing Act, requiring continued oversight of States issuing non-domiciled CDLs to drivers, ensuring that standards are properly adhered to. This bill withholds funds for any States refusing to comply with commonsense Federal safety standards. America's truckers make our modern life possible, and they have improved our standard of living. They deserve leadership and support to make their profession safe and profitable. By working together and passing this series of pieces of legislation, the Wild West of trucking undermining American truckers and threatening our families will finally be over. I thank my colleagues for participating in this evening's Special Order, and I thank the Congressional Trucking Caucus and the group's chairman, Congressman Dave Taylor of Ohio, for collaborating on these issues. I also thank the industry groups which have supported our efforts to get critical legislation past the finish line to lift the men and women who keep America moving. I thank every truck driver in this great country. We appreciate them and what they do for us. I now yield to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Taylor) to address the body.