Arkansas Democrat Gazette
By Tom Cotton
In Pope County, a driver hauling a semi-truck was recently pulled over along Interstate 40 and questioned by law enforcement. The driver held a commercial driver's license (CDL) from California, but could not speak any understandable English. The driver also couldn't identify common road signs and explain what they mean, effectively putting all Arkansans driving alongside him in danger.
Whether driving home from a long day at work, to pick up kids from school, or to visit loved ones a few hours away, Arkansans deserve to feel safe on the road. Yet, thanks to disastrous Democratic policies that have enabled illegal aliens to operate commercial vehicles on our highways, the safety of Arkansans and millions of drivers across America is now at risk.
In October, Jashanpreet Singh--an illegal alien who crossed our wide-open southern border in 2022--killed at least three people and injured numerous others while driving a semi-truck. The crash took place in southern California on the I-10 freeway after Singh failed to hit his brakes and rammed into slow-moving traffic.
Notably, Singh reportedly had previously been encountered by Border Patrol agents but was released into the United States as part of the "alternatives to detention" policy implemented by the Biden administration.
This comes after another illegal alien driving an 18-wheeler killed three innocent people in a deadly highway crash in Florida. As it turns out, in the spring of 2023, the driver had failed a written test for a commercial driver's license in Washington state on 10 separate occasions. Even though the driver struggled to speak English, Washington state issued him a commercial driver's license, as did California; the driver was holding a California commercial driver's license at the time of the crash.
These two examples are symptoms of a rampant problem. For instance, as part of a recent operation on I-40 in Oklahoma, 91 illegal aliens operating a commercial motor vehicle with a commercial driver's license were arrested. How is it possible that such drivers can recklessly endanger innocent Americans on our roads and highways?
Recently, I sent a letter, with Rep. Andy Barr of Kentucky, to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, calling for an investigation into the widespread fraud taking place in so-called commercial driver's license mills. These fraudulent operations exploit regulatory loopholes to provide rushed, test-based courses with little to no behind-the-wheel training and quick credentials.
Now we are seeing what happens when safety is shortchanged and unqualified commercial drivers are allowed out on the road. To strengthen our commercial licensing system and further protect the safety of Arkansans on our highways, I introduced the Secure Commercial Driver Licensing Act. This legislation will require all commercial driver's license testing to be conducted in English. Mandating testing in English will ensure that every commercial driver can read, understand, and follow road signs when driving, which is just simple common sense.
This bill will also require individuals to have a standard driver's license for one year before being eligible for a commercial driver's license. Additionally, it will give the Secretary of Transportation the authority to revoke a state's ability to issue commercial driver's licenses if it is found to be noncompliant with federal regulations. (Looking at you, California, which recently revoked 17,000 commercial driver's licenses after Gavin Newsom was called out for his widespread recklessness.)
With a nationwide, interconnected highway system, unqualified and illegal alien drivers pose a danger to drivers in every state, including Arkansas. I am committed to getting these criminal drivers off the road and ensuring that every commercial vehicle driver is a fully qualified professional.