As a conservative, I believe in the rule of law, national security, and the safety of the American people, which is why I introduced the Non-Domiciled CDL Integrity Act.
This bill will remove foreign truck drivers (nearly 97 percent of them) from our roadways — drivers that have no business being behind the wheel. Many of these drivers cannot even speak or read English, a necessity for any driver to safely operate a big rig. It is hardly believable this could be the case, but unfortunately it is true.
These non-English speaking, untrained, and unfit drivers who put Americans on the road at risk, are being enabled by negligent state enforcement. In a nationwide-audit conducted by the Department of Transportation, at least six states were found to be out of compliance with Federal non-domiciled commercial driver’s license (CDL) standards, which are intended to keep our nation’s roads safe and protect American trucking jobs.
For too long, liberal states like California have turned a blind eye to the rampant abuse of their CDL issuance processes, choosing illegal immigrants over American truckers. These states have handed out licenses to individuals who don’t have proper legal status, have expired documents, or fail to meet federal immigration requirements. Some of the drivers’ licenses distributed don’t even have a name printed on them. This recklessness puts the lives of Americans at risk every single day.
Just this year, there have been at least 12 deaths, including two children, in accidents caused by illegal non-domiciled drivers. In August an illegal alien took the lives of three people in Florida after making an improper U-turn. The illegal alien had been given a CDL by Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom’s California DMV.
To address this major problem, Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy and the Trump administration have taken bold and decisive action to immediately eliminate the ability of states to issue non-domiciled CDLs to unqualified foreign drivers. My bill, H.R. 5688, the Non-Domiciled CDL Integrity Act, makes President Trump’s action permanent and will ensure states can no longer issue these CDLs to illegal immigrants, asylum seekers with pending status, and others who do not meet the strict employment-based criteria necessary for safety on the roads. Making this commonsense policy permanent will protect lives and ensure that states improperly issuing CDLs can no longer put Americans at risk.
Enforcing the rule of law, securing our borders, and prioritizing the safety of American families must always be our top priorities. If someone is going to operate a multi-ton truck on American roads, they must be properly vetted and held to the highest standards. Safety requires it.
I am proud to join Secretary Sean Duffy and President Trump in their fight to restore integrity to the CDL process. Together, we are standing up for our hardworking American truckers as well as every family and individual that travels our roads.
David Rouzer represents North Carolina’s 7th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives and has served on the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure since his election in 2014. He is currently chairman of the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit and a member of the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials.
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