Shifting Gears and Putting the Brakes on CDL Fraud
WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a brand-new episode of the Republican Study Committee’s (RSC) Right to the Point podcast, Rep. Josh Brecheen (OK-02), sits down with Rep. David Rouzer (NC-07) to discuss Republicans’ efforts to stop illegal aliens from obtaining commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) and the Trump administration’s work to root out fraud in CDL training programs and licensing practices.
The Congressmen examine how the Biden-Harris administration’s open-border policies enabled illegal aliens to enter into the trucking industry and steal job opportunities from hardworking Americans. As a CDL holder himself, Rep. Brecheen highlights gaps in vetting, training, and licensing standards in Democrat-led states that have allowed unqualified drivers behind the wheel of 18-wheelers.
The Trump administration has worked to restore law and order, secure the border, and crack down on fraud to strengthen public safety. Republicans in Congress have advanced legislation to codify these victories and protect progress from Democrat obstruction, including through the Working Families Tax Cuts Act and the Secure America Act. Rep. Rouzer (NC-07) also introduced Dalilah's Law, named after Dalilah Coleman, who was tragically struck by an illegal alien driving an 18-wheel tractor-trailer. The legislation would prevent illegal aliens from obtaining CDLs when they lack the English proficiency, road-rule knowledge, and safety skills necessary to operate commercial motor vehicles.
You can listen to the full episode on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Read highlights from the conversation below:
Rep. Josh Brecheen (OK-02): “Let’s explain how we even got to this point. The Biden-Harris administration wreaked havoc on our country with their reckless open-border policies… Innocent Americans that were the victim of this, Laken Riley, Rachel Morin, Jocelyn Nungaray, and many others…What did you see about the impact of these policies on communities across the country?”
Rep. David Rouzer (NC-07): “I think you could trace some of the issue back to COVID…The blue states in particular like California, New York, you know, they had everybody sent home from government agencies and nobody was doing their job. And so, you had the perfect storm, I think, of all these illegal immigrants that were coming through and you had all these CDL mills, as they’re called, that popped up and basically were just generating CDL licenses for those who were not qualified to drive. And that’s fundamentally what the issue is here.”
Rep. Josh Brecheen (OK-02): “CBP, Customs and Border [Protection], tells us that under the four years of Biden, we had about 2 million [illegal aliens]. And since then, roughly 200,000 Americans have died since 2021 after being poisoned by the fentanyl smuggled across the southern border…And Democrats have been, of course, defending this and even argued that the border was secure when all this madness was breaking out…And what do you think history is going to say about the Biden-Harris administration?”
Rep. David Rouzer (NC-07): “Well, I think history is going to be very damning, and I think history will show that it was a very precarious time in this country. And, of course, with every election, the American people have a choice. Do they want to go back to wide open borders or do they want safety and security? And I think I know the answer to that.”
Rep. Josh Brecheen (OK-02): “That's the perfect transition to Dalilah's Law that you introduced. Tell us about what happened. Tell us the story. Tell us about the law.”
Rep. David Rouzer (NC-07): “Young lady, Dalilah Coleman is her name, she was in an accident that was the result of a CDL that had been issued improperly, without vetting of this particular driver…She has life altering injuries, but she survived, which is a blessing…Given the tragedy we’ve faced and the number of people behind the wheels of these big rigs that never should have been there to begin with, the administration has been very aggressive in going after them and cleaning this system up…Specifically, making [the ability to read] English and speak English as a requirement…States are required to show that they’re complying with the law. If they’re not complying with the law, there are penalties in place, including withholding of highway funds and other funds potentially as well.”
Rep. Josh Brecheen (OK-02): “The Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Transportation, the White House Task Force on Fraud announced that they are launching a historic interagency effort to crack down on the fraud in the trucking industry. Already, they’ve been shutting down 110 trucking schools, 160 plus providers that fraudulently certified illegal aliens and non-citizens in obtaining these CDLs. And these schools were operating with unlicensed instructors, inadequate testing space, no classrooms, and handing out CDLs to individuals with missing testing records…How can Congress work with the Trump administration to protect the integrity of the CDL system, while expanding opportunities for potential truck drivers through programs like Freedom Haulers?”
Rep. David Rouzer (NC-07): “First of all, it makes a big difference who's occupying the Oval Office. Stop the bleeding by securing the border…Then you got to have enforcement at the state level. You had all these blue states in particular that had no oversight whatsoever of these programs and they were just handing out CDLs like they are candy…What we’ve done with Dalilah’s Law is we’re basically codifying all the good new rules and regulations and enforcement of the Trump administration so that we get these guys off the roads.”