Sean Duffy (00:00):
First press conference together, he is doing an excellent job. We want to give an update on CDLs, non-domiciled CDLs. This has been a story that's been covered for some time in the news media, and there's been some new developments over the course of the last days and weeks.
(00:17)
But before we start, I do want to thank Secretary Noem and ICE and the state of Indiana for the great work they've done. They had a press conference this morning, identifying 223 illegals that were arrested in a sting operation in Indiana. 146 of those individuals were truck drivers, and Kristi Noem, Secretary Noem actually pointed out that a number of those truck drivers that were illegal have criminal records, individuals that have no place on American roads. Through Indiana's great work, we discovered that they were, and those people are taken off the road now, and many of them are headed back to their countries of origin.
(01:03)
I know other states are partnering with US, states like Oklahoma, also setting up operations in their states to actually enforce the laws on the books in their states, but also the laws that come from the federal government and those of us here at DOT.
(01:20)
So, I want to walk through just some of the history of what's happened here. In late May, we told all of our states that you have to enforce the English proficiency requirements that are on the books right now. And, by the way, those are not new rules that were put on the books by US DOT. They've been on the books for decades. It's just that we were going to enhance the penalties that existed before Barack Obama changed them in the early 2000s. We're going back to the original standard, taking vehicles out of service if someone couldn't speak English.
(01:57)
And then we did an investigation in regard to non-domiciled CDLs. So, just quickly, what is a non-domiciled CDL? It was a CDL that was envisioned for someone from one state, a citizen from one state that was going to get a commercial driver's license in another state. So, say I'm in Wisconsin and I want to drive truck in Texas, a lot of jobs down there, and I would get a commercial driver's license, a non-domiciled one in the state of Texas.
(02:27)
Like many of our laws, it was contorted by, oftentimes, liberals and liberal governors, and they started to allow foreigners to get non-domiciled CDLs. We discovered, and we reported this about a month ago, that many of these non-domiciled CDLs, the commercial driver's licenses that were given to foreigners, they were issued unlawfully. For example, it would look like a foreigner has a work permit that expires on one date, but the commercial driver's license would not have an expiration date, whether it's months or years later. Again, not following the rules of DOT.
(03:06)
When we discovered that through our investigation, we put a stop to all non-domiciled CDLs across the country, and then we requested that all the states go back and look at all the non-domiciled CDLs that were issued in their states to find out which ones were issued unlawfully. That process is coming to a close. I think a lot of states have tried to comply, but I think we have a number of states that have been less than willing to comply with our requirements.
(03:36)
So, that brings us to today. We're in a situation where we have now found that many states have issued commercial driver's licenses that are designated as US citizens, but they're issuing those licenses to foreigners or to illegals. And so you have an illegal alien, a foreigner, who might have a work permit, but they're getting a commercial driver's license that indicates that they're a US. Number one.
(04:03)
Number two, we have states that are giving illegal aliens, so they don't have a work permit, they're here illegally, they're giving illegals commercial driver's licenses. So, instead of the state finding an illegal in their state coming in to get a commercial driver's license, and actually calling ICE and saying, "This person should be deported," they're actually giving them a commercial driver's license. These are individuals that can drive fuel tankers, they can drive school buses, they can drive all of these very dangerous big rigs on our roads, and they are in the country unlawfully.
(04:43)
And then, finally, what we found is that we have a number of drivers that have no driver's license at all. They're just getting behind the wheel of a big rig, and they are operating, and we are seeing the consequences of that. We're seeing more crashes, more consequences, more deaths on American roadways. And so, the question becomes: what are we going to do? How do we actually navigate this from our perspective?
(05:08)
Well, number one, we have a lot of money that flows from this department to our states. And you saw that we pulled $40 million from the state of California because they were refusing to comply with our English proficiency language requirements. We're getting information from state troopers in the state of California that Gavin Newsom has specifically told them, "Don't comply with this requirement from the Department of Transportation." Number one.
(05:36)
But number two, in regard to the non-domiciled commercial driver's licenses, we've asked for compliance, for those states to again, go back and look at the licenses to verify that they were issued lawfully. California is less than cooperative, and we're in the process of going through a review, and we have the opportunity to pull $160 million of additional dollars from the state of California. That's about 4% of the money that we send California from DOT. We'll be able to pull another 4% and another 4% if they don't comply. Eventually, we can pull their ability to issue commercial driver's licenses. We will get compliance. They will comply.
(06:25)
I think it begs the question, also: who is testing these drivers? Who is taking drivers in, seeing if they speak English, and then testing them on basic skills that would allow them to be certified to then go to the DOT to get a license? So, these are commercial driver's license schools. And a lot of these students are coming through these schools, they can't speak the language, and many of them are not proficient in the English language. Many of them don't have the skills to operate these big rigs on the roads. But nonetheless, these schools are certifying that they're qualified. Not only that, they don't have documentation that they're citizens. So, we are going to go after the CDL mills that are issuing licenses across the country, sending a certification into our state DOTs, saying that you have a qualified individual to drive a big rig and licensed in your state. And the truth is, they're not. We are going to take a hard look at those individuals, and there'll be serious consequences for them.
(07:37)
Also, we are diving into the companies that hire these drivers that may not have a license, that may not have a lawfully issued license, or do not speak the language. Companies will be held to account. And so we are using every tool that we have in our toolbox to make sure states comply.
(07:59)
And just, if I could make a side note, I don't have a law enforcement… I don't have a massive law enforcement wing like ICE does. And that's why I'm grateful for Secretary Noem's help in not only bringing attention to this matter, but actually using ICE agents to go out and make sure that we have compliance with some of our laws that are on the books from DOT. It's a partnership that you see from government secretary to secretary because President Trump has indicated he wants us all to work together.
(08:28)
We are not working in silos. We're working as one federal government. And again, Kristi Noem, the Secretary of Homeland Security, has been a great partner in this effort. And so we are going to continue the pressure. We are going to get compliance. And in the end, if it takes money, if it takes pulling states' ability to issue CDLs, we will stop at nothing to make sure that our roads are safe.
(08:54)
You've seen the videos. You have a family out for a Sunday drive or a couple driving home on a weekday afternoon and tragedy hits, because we have people on the roads that aren't safe, that aren't qualified, that should never have a driver's license, and lives are lost. And it's our job in this department to make sure that people are safe. They expect us to look out for their safety, and that means that we have to use every tool we have to make sure we get compliance with these rules so Americans can feel safe, when they go on the roadways, that they have well-trained, skillful drivers of these big rigs that aren't going to take their or their family member's life.
(09:36)
With that, I do want to turn it over to Derek Barrs, our FMCSA Administrator, for additional comment on this. And then, after, we'll be happy to take a few questions from you, if you have any.
Derek Barrs (09:49):
Thank you, Secretary. I also want to just thank… To start off with, I want to thank the Indiana Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division for their great partnership that we have. Me, being a former law enforcement officer for nearly 30 years, doing roadside inspections, I know how important it is, and the work that they do is valuable to commercial vehicle safety.
(10:09)
And I also want to thank our other law enforcement partners who are doing this across the country, who are actually assisting us in cracking down on the unsafe and unqualified drivers that we have. I want to touch a little bit about what Indiana has done with some of their inspections, just to highlight the great work that they're doing, and that also highlights the work that our other partners are doing across the country.
(10:31)
Over the last 30 days, in Indiana alone, 191 inspections were conducted that resulted with English language proficiency or commercial vehicle driver violations. That's unacceptable. Let me break this down for you, just a little bit. Of those 115, there were CDL violations, and that included no CDLs, as the Secretary just mentioned, unqualified drivers, suspended driver's license, or just being disqualified. And 76 of those were ELP, English language proficiency violations.
(11:03)
As the Secretary also mentioned, we need to look at every step and everything, every tool in our toolbox, which includes the entry-level driver training schools, where safety truly begins. This is when a new driver comes in, he gets the training that he needs to be a professional driver. You can't make that up on the back end. It's got to be on the front end. It's very, very important. So, as I said, that's where the rubber meets the road.
(11:28)
We want to ensure every driver on the road is qualified and has safety in the forefront of their minds, because we only want professional and safe drivers on our roadways. And to have that, they must follow our standards. And if you do not want to follow our standards, then you need to stay out of the profession.
(11:46)
Soon, here at FMCSA, we will be announcing recent activities that we're doing to ensure that entry-level driver training schools are being upheld, and those standards are being upheld. As the administrator of FMCSA, I want to make this perfectly clear to the driver training schools: If you are not following the rules, and you're not doing the things that you're supposed to be doing, we're going to ensure that we put you out of business. We're going to come after you.
(12:14)
I also want to thank Secretary Duffy for his work, our FMCSA partners, and our state partners who go out every single day and are trying to make sure that our roadways are safe. And we do that, also, with our industry partners in this critical safety issues that we have.
(12:28)
So, thank you very much, sir.
Sean Duffy (12:31):
I just want to note that this is not a problem that developed overnight. This is a problem that's been evolving over years, and as I took this job, I would get outreach immediately from truck drivers about the problem we have with non-citizens, foreigners, non-English speakers driving on our roads. It was a huge issue.
(12:59)
The difference is, the last administration didn't pay attention to it. They didn't care about it, they didn't focus on it, and that's not this administration. And so I do want to thank Derek and his team, who have done outstanding work, making sure that we're looking around every corner so we can make sure we get compliance, and we keep every single American safe.
(13:22)
And with that, if you guys have any questions for us, we're happy to take them. Yes.
Speaker 3 (13:25):
I have a question about the Essential Air Service program. Earlier this month, the department said that it found enough funds to keep the program going, or continue to fund the program through November 2nd. That's this Sunday. Does the department know what's going to happen to the program, the program's funding after this Sunday?
Sean Duffy (13:43):
So, I don't have any additional information that we were able to find more resources to keep the program going. It's critical for many, as I come from small town America, it is a lifeline to small town America that they have access to commercial flights.
(14:00)
It's specifically important to Alaska, where they don't have a lot of roads. They access their communities via air. And again, we'll look to see if we can find additional resources. I haven't been briefed on it recently. But there's an easy answer to this, an easy solution: open up the government, fund the government, it's a clean CR, and then sit down and negotiate the differences that you have.
(14:28)
So, this is in the hands of Senate Democrats. Are they going to be driven by their left-wing base, or are they going to be driven by common sense? Common sense solutions, common sense negotiations, but not a negotiation that happens by way of holding one side hostage to just get your way.
Speaker 3 (14:52):
And I have a follow-up question about air traffic control overall. The FAA had said they expected to name an integrator by the end of the month. Is that looking likely at this point? When could it be [inaudible 00:15:02]?
Sean Duffy (15:01):
So, I'm meeting with the teams on Monday. We're well into the process of interviewing integrators, and in short order, we hope to have the integrator selected so we can move even faster in our modernization of the airspace.
(15:20)
I would just note that we had $12.5 billion from the Big Beautiful Bill. I'm grateful for the Congress for sending that to us. I would note that we need about another 19, $20 billion to complete the project. So, I do hope, as Congress gets back in session and they start to think about what are the priorities of the country, they'll keep in mind that we only got partial funding, and we need additional funding to complete the job.
(15:45)
Yes.
Speaker 4 (15:45):
How close would you say we are to closing down the airspace? Like, today, or at Orlando, there's an average of more than four hours due to just staffing. And we've seen that all across during the shutdown.
Sean Duffy (15:57):
So, that's a great question. What's going to happen in the future? It actually is… Some days are worse than others. The weekdays can be a little bit lighter, weekends are a little tougher. More travel on the weekends. Scott Kirby from United made this point in the meeting today with the vice president. Said, "Listen, August is the best weather month to fly," because weather's also a component, and traffic is a little less in October than in other months. And so we have a benefit of those two things right now, but we're still seeing delays and some cancellations. And we're going to take it day by day.
(16:33)
But I'll tell you this: I've spent a lot of time with controllers, and there's great frustration that they're not being paid. And the orchestra that they conduct with airplanes, the dance they do in the sky, these are remarkably talented people, and they want to be treated by their federal government based on the skill that they drive into our airspace.
(16:58)
And so, yeah, I think, as each day goes beyond that last paycheck that didn't come, the stress gets bigger. And that happens because, every day, all of us know, every day we have expenses: gas in the car, food in the table, gas bill comes in, or an electric bill comes in, or a TV bill comes in. Probably by now you've already canceled Netflix or some other streaming service. They're already cutting back. But then their child comes home and says, "I want to play basketball this winter, and it's going to cost $200." And the controller has to say to their child, by the way, they make a good income, "We can't afford it. Maybe later. Maybe you can pay later, and you can get on the team."
(17:45)
Not only that, our controllers in our bigger facilities can make some good money, but we have controllers who are out of the academy that are being trained up, they don't make a lot. They might have a young family, and they may only have one income. The pressure on them is very real. And as I'm trying to expand the number of controllers that we have in our airspace, you guys know we're about 2,000, 3,000 air traffic controllers short. We're trying to bring more young people into the academy and through the academy, which, by the way, this year we're already up 20% more than they were in the previous year.
(18:23)
So, what we're doing is working. I've offered controllers who are at the age of retirement, I've offered to pay them 20% of their salary upfront as a bonus to stay on for a year. I'm doing everything I can. This makes it way harder for me to get new controllers to come in and to keep the controllers that I do have working in the airspace. And long after you all forget about the shutdown, I'm going to deal with the consequences of the shutdown, as I'm trying to build up controllers in the airspace.
(18:54)
And I appreciate the question, because I can't predict the future, but I can say that if it doesn't end soon, day by day, I think it's going to get worse: more delays, more cities, and four hours might look like a walk in the park versus what's going to come if Democrats don't open the government.
Speaker 5 (19:12):
We have time for one more.
Sean Duffy (19:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (19:14):
Thank you very much, Mr. secretary. One of the reasons that so many non-citizens are driving big rigs on American roads is because, as truck driving companies report, there's a shortage of people who are wanting to take these jobs. They're very long-haul jobs, very intense. They involve long hours. Sometimes the pay may not be as competitive.
(19:33)
So, given that shortfall of American workers to take those jobs, what is the Trump administration doing to scale up those workers to create that domestic labor supply? And if you would start enforcing these rules strictly, are you concerned that the absence of non-citizens is going to lead to shortages in truck driving that will then affect supply chains, transportation networks, et cetera?
Sean Duffy (19:54):
That's a fantastic question, and I think you have different data than I have. There's a lot of Americans who want to get behind the wheel of a big rig. These are, and have been, really great-paying jobs. But when you'll bring someone in who doesn't have a driver's license, they'll drive that truck for a much lower rate, or someone who unlawfully got their license, they'll drive that rig for a much lower rate. And so, what's happened in the industry is they've driven their prices down. And a lot of companies that have been around for a very long time are now starting to go out of business.
(20:30)
So, I do not buy the idea that there's not enough American truck drivers. To the contrary, there are enough American truck drivers to meet the demands that we have in this country. This was concocted in a way to allow people to come into our country, to get licenses… Commercial driver's licenses unlawfully, and then get behind the wheel. And I don't think that that's the appropriate approach.
(20:56)
We have a long history of great American truck drivers, who, by the way, they're almost like our air traffic controllers or pilots. They take their jobs very seriously. What they do on American roads, they think is of utmost importance, because it's not just their lives, it's the lives of the people around them on our highways and freeways that they're concerned about every single day. Great professionals. And so I think you'll see American truck drivers fill the space when we do what's right and take out these unlawful drivers.
(21:32)
And just a side note: never should we compromise safety. Never should we say we should put an unqualified driver in a big rig, in an eighteen-wheeler, and set them loose in our roads and think that that's a great solution. You've seen the videos. People die when we do that. That is not the answer. It is to, if you need more drivers, make the case. Tell people how great the industry is, how much you can make in a year by driving a truck. And it will be met with, I think, a number of applicants, if we need those new truck drivers to come in.
(22:10)
So, I feel very confident that if we're able to take out the unlawful, untrained, non-English-speaking drivers, we will not have an issue on our roadways. We will not have issues with our deliveries. Our products will move, but they'll move safer because we have better drivers who are driving those big rigs who have legal licenses and can actually speak the English language.
(22:35)
With that, thank you guys very much. I appreciate it.