House Republicans Are Closing Deadly CDL Loophole Before Another American Family Pays the Price

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Republican Study Committee (RSC) today hosted a member roundtable featuring Dalilah and Marcus Coleman, alongside trucking industry veterans to speak out about the dangerous federal loophole allowing illegal aliens to obtain commercial driver licenses (CDLs) and operate 80,000-pound trucks on American roads.

Two years ago, an illegal alien driving an eighteen-wheel tractor-trailer caused a multi-vehicle wreck that left five-year-old Dalilah Coleman with a traumatic brain injury, skull fractures, a broken femur, and weeks in a coma. She will live with those injuries for the rest of her life.

Dalilah’s accident was a preventable tragedy. Yet current law permits illegal aliens to obtain CDLs, without speaking or passing a driving test in English. President Trump’s Department of Transportation (DOT) has started to address this deadly issue by tightening CDL standards and shutting down illegal commercial driving schools.

Dalilah's accident was a preventable tragedy, and the Democratic Party bears direct responsibility. In 2016, the Obama administration eliminated the English language proficiency requirement for CDL applicants, blowing open a loophole that allowed illegal aliens to obtain CDLs without speaking or passing a driving test in English. Illegal commercial driving schools began advertising in foreign languages, recruiting foreign nationals, and putting unqualified drivers behind the wheel of commercial trucks. These are drivers who cannot read road signs, cannot communicate with law enforcement, and cannot understand the safety placards on the loads they are hauling. President Trump’s Department of Transportation (DOT) has started to address this deadly issue by tightening CDL standards and shutting down illegal commercial driving schools.

The roundtable is on the heels of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure’s passage of Dalilah’s Law, which will increase American roadway safety by ensuring illegal aliens cannot obtain CDLs or operate commercial trucks.

Members in attendance included: Reps. David Rouzer (NC-07), Erin Houchin (IN-09), Vince Fong (CA-20), Jay Obernolte (CA-23), Mike Collins (GA-10), Tim Burchett (TN-02), and Dave Taylor (OH-02).

“Every time when these accidents happen, it crushes us, our family, because we know that I'm out here doing something about it, at least trying. And like she said, the Democrats are not ‘safety first.’ They're wanting to put their politics first and safety last. Pretty much, that's what it's looking like, so we need to get the [Dalilah’s] law passed. We need to get together on both sides. This is a safety issue. They said yesterday in the hearing, there's no Republican or Democrat roads, just us roads. And I find that 100% to be true,” said Marcus Coleman, Dalilah Coleman’s father.

“Today we’re one step closer to safer roads for Dalilah Coleman, her family, and all Americans. Ensuring each truck driver is qualified and legally operating will protect the public from these tragic, yet preventable accidents. I want to thank Chairman Graves, Secretary Duffy, and my colleagues for their support and swift action in advancing this critical legislation. I look forward to working to get this bill through the House and Senate to answer President Trump’s call to restore public trust on our roadways,” said Congressman David Rouzer (NC-07).

“Since November, seven Hoosiers from the state of Indiana have lost their lives in crashes involving individuals in this country illegally driving vehicles they should not be. These are preventable tragedies, and they point to a clear gap in our laws that we must fix, and that's why we're here today to talk about this vital law. The goal is straightforward. If you're in this country illegally, you should not be able to obtain a commercial driver's license, and if that standard is violated, there should be serious consequences, including permanent disqualification from operating a commercial vehicle,” said Congresswoman Erin Houchin (IN-09).

“I remember when the Coleman’s came to my office. Dalilah met my son, who was right right before his first birthday. He just turned one years old last weekend, but the instant connection, Dalilah just immediately gravitated to my son, and I think they played the whole hour, and I spent the whole time just looking at them. It's a reminder that this affects everything, we can prevent any accident in the future because of what happened, this is important legislation. So I do think it's important, especially for us in California, to recognize that if illegal immigrants are obtains an illegal CDL in California, they cannot drive on every road across the country. So they can go to Georgia, into Ohio, Indiana and North Carolina, Tennessee and so this report is the fact that we have to have a national standard to ensure that the truck drivers like Mike and Dave, understand the rules of the road that they they get proficient in English and train properly to drive these trucks,” said Congressman Vince Fong (CA-20).

“It boggles my mind that next week, this bill will have opposition on the House Floor, because it is just common sense. Representative Collins articulated, well, you can't read English, you can't read not only street signs, but placards, safety information, load documents, and if you don't have authorization, you shouldn't be issued a commercial driver's license that enables you to work. And this is more than about protecting and enforcing our immigration laws. It is about respect for the rule of law and obeying rules, because if you're willing to break immigration law for your own gain, you're probably willing to break other kinds of safety laws, and adherence to those safety laws is very important in doing a good job as a commercial truck driver, and so this is just basic common sense”said Congressman Jay Obernolte (CA-23).

“My wife and I, we started our own trucking company. I've had my commercial driver's license, back then they were called class five, or a chauffeur's license, and I've had this since I was eighteen-years-old. I know what it takes to drive a truck, and I know how important it is to make sure that we have the right people driving these trucks. And so when you take a look at a commercial driver's license, what does that entail? How do you get that? Okay, you've got to take a written test, you've got to identify parts on the equipment. You've got to be able to drive the truck. And in every one of those cases, what baffles me is the fact that you have to talk and speak and read English, and that's not the case with at least over 200,000 people that have gotten a commercial driver's license,”said Congressman Mike Collins (GA-10).

“I've been in the third generation trucking business myself, so you understand what it really takes to drive the truck. I was in the concrete business, you might even agree it's one of the hardest truck jobs, there are so many proficient people in those positions. Now, years ago, the federal government recognized this and created requirements to ensure that truck drivers across the country, across the United States, agreed that to communicate with law enforcement that they needed it in English to obtain a commercial driver's license. That ended in 2016 when the Obama administration decided to remove the English language proficiency requirement from the house service criteria,” said Congressman Dave Taylor (OH-02).

“And I looked up there and I saw that sweet girl Democrats wouldn't stand to applaud that sweet little girl to me, just shows you how lost we are as a country. It's how much evil is in people's hearts,” said Congressman Tim Burchett (TN-07).