an Amendment in the Substitute to H.R. 5688, Dalilah's Law

I call the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure to order. Pursuant to Committee Rule 6(f) and House Rule 11, Clause 2(h), the Chairman may postpone further proceedings today on any question of approving any measure or matter or adopting an amendment on which a recorded vote of the yeas and nays is ordered. I ask unanimous consent that the Chairman be authorized to declare a recess at any time during today's hearing. Without objection, that is so ordered. A bill and amendment text have been distributed electronically and paper copies are also available here in the hearing room. As a reminder, the Committee may use an electronic voting system for any requested recorded votes. Today the Committee is considering one item, an amendment in the nature of a substitute to H.R. 5688, Dalilah's Law. Finally, I ask unanimous consent for the Committee to use an amendments roster for any items under consideration by the Committee. Without objection, that is so ordered. Before I begin consideration of the bill today, I want to take a moment to briefly recognize Representative Fong to introduce some special guests from his district, the Coleman family.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Today I would like to introduce my constituents from Bakersfield. We have Dalilah here, who is the inspiration for the action that we're taking today, and her family, her father Marcus, her mother Eliana. In recent weeks, I've been able to get to know the Colemans. They are wonderful people, a wonderful family from my community. We thank you for your courage and advocacy, and we thank you for joining us today.

[Applause.] Our only item for consideration is H.R. 5688, Dalilah's Law, and I ask unanimous consent to discharge the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit from further consideration of H.R. 5688. Without objection, that is so ordered. I now call up the bill for consideration. Without objection, the first reading of the bill is dispensed with. The bill is now considered as read and open for amendment at any point. I now recognize Mr. Rouzer to offer an amendment in the nature of a substitute.

Yeah, Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment in the nature of a substitute at the desk.

Please designate.

An amendment in the nature of a substitute to H.R. 5688 offered by Mr. Rouzer of North Carolina.

Without objection, the amendment in the nature of a substitute shall be considered as read and shall be considered as base text for purposes of further amendment. I now recognize Mr. Rouzer for five minutes for his statement.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'm proud to be here today to offer this amendment in a nature of a substitute known as Dalilah's Law to H.R. 5688. And I had a great honor and privilege to meet with the family this morning, and I appreciate everything that they have done to bring this issue to the public's attention. Dalilah Coleman was five years old when she and her family were struck by an 18-wheeler driven by an illegal immigrant that had no business being on the highway driving a big rig. While she must live with life-altering injuries, I'm thankful that she is alive today, thankful that they're all alive today. For others, unfortunately, that's not the case. The open border policies of the Biden administration flooded our country with far more illegal immigrants than at any time in our country's history. Additionally, a lack of oversight enabled states to issue commercial driver's licenses to these unqualified foreigners, creating an unacceptable risk to the traveling public, and we are paying the price. In 2025 alone, at least 30 fatalities were caused by illegal alien drivers who not only were here illegally but were unqualified to operate on our nation's roadways. This is a threat to the safety of all Americans, and I commend President Trump and his administration for calling on Congress to restore order to our nation's trucking system during his State of the Union address. And that's exactly what this legislation before us today does. It would make permanent the policy and enforcement actions needed to end the abuse of our system and protect American lives. The Trump administration went to work immediately to address this. In May of 2025, Secretary Duffy and the Department of Transportation reinstated English language proficiency requirements as an out-of-service criteria to ensure commercial truck operators can understand and identify our road signs. Shortly after, a nationwide audit found there were at least 25 states incorrectly issuing non-domiciled commercial driver's licenses. States were issuing licenses with expiration dates beyond the individual's permitted time in our country, including one instance where a license remained valid for more than five years after the person's immigration papers expired. Now, Mr. Chairman, this lack of oversight is unacceptable and perpetuates the immigration crisis threatening our communities. The Department of Transportation recently finalized stricter regulations to end this malpractice. Now states must verify the immigration status of each and every CDL applicant and can only issue a non-domiciled CDL to applicants that have certain specific visas. Dalilah's Law makes these policy changes permanent, restricting licenses to only those here legally and with a legitimate employment-based reason to hold a CDL. Further, it limits these licenses to one year or less based on the individual's authorized stay period and requires applicants have clean driving records. Dalilah's Law also codifies strict English language safety requirements by requiring all components of the CDL exam to be administered only in English. Someone operating an 80,000-pound truck has to understand our signs and rules of the road. Now, this is just common sense, and I want to thank my colleague Congressman Dave Taylor for his leadership crafting these specific provisions. CDL mills have become backdoors for unqualified drivers to receive licenses. Last year, FMCSA audited and removed nearly 3,000 training providers for falsifying training data or failing to meet federal curriculum requirements. That's 3,000 facilities essentially putting dangerous drivers on our roads. Dalilah's Law requires all CDL schools to recertify their eligibility to teach new drivers in order to continue in the program. In essence, this bill ends CDL mills permanently. Passing Dalilah's Law is an important first step to address critical safety issues in the trucking sector and saving lives. This Committee has prided itself on bipartisan common sense reforms, including prioritizing safety in the upcoming surface transportation reauthorization bill. Today's bill lays the groundwork to demonstrate that commitment to safety for all Americans, and I urge my colleagues to support it and to support it unanimously. I yield back.

I now recognize Mr. Larsen for his statement.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Today this Committee is taking up a piece of the surface transportation legislation that does not yet have the support of both sides of the aisle. We got notice of this legislation last Friday and, frankly, were unable to be participants in developing the language of this bill and have several concerns about it. And so I do hope we get back to regular order and work together to pass a comprehensive bipartisan surface transportation bill. I do think that we can do that and we ought to do that. Democratic members have themselves repeatedly asked for markups on bills on rail safety, work zone safety, truck safety, highway-railway grade crossing safety, and have been told that all those issues have to wait for a broader surface bill. And so I'd like the majority to consider that we have members as well that have individual bills that they'd like to see regarding safety and we don't want to wait for those bills either. So today we do consider Dalilah's Law, and we are joined in the hearing room by Dalilah Coleman and her family, whose lives were changed forever by a tragic crash. And what your family's gone through is unimaginable by everyone here on the Committee. I'm grateful for your presence and for your continued advocacy as well. Families shouldn't have to suffer on the roads because of unsafe conditions. Every year, in fact, more than 5,000 people are killed in large truck crashes. That means 14 people are killed every day in this way, and that's been true for decades, for too long. The roadway safety crisis is something that Congress has to address. However, laying the entirety of this problem at the feet of all of the women and men who are safe drivers and trying to make a living in a new home is not something that I can support. We're being asked to double down on and endorse policy changes that the administration is already enforcing and to add punitive measures that are, frankly, not grounded in safety. First, the bill ensures that drivers on our roads can understand and communicate in English. The ability to read road signs and speak to safety inspectors has a legitimate nexus to safety, and certainly, as a result, those are changes that the administration is implementing that I support. Every state and the District of Columbia is currently adhering to the administration's enforcement guidance, which requires commercial drivers to be placed out of service for failing English language proficiency tests or ELP tests. But second, the bill goes further and disqualifies drivers who fail ELP tests from operating a commercial motor vehicle for one year, effectively firing them. This gives drivers who fail ELP tests the same penalty, same penalty, as drivers who are caught driving drunk, drivers who flee the scene of a crash, or drivers who have been convicted of killing someone in a crash through negligence or criminality. ELP violations are inherently subjective, and the administration has not demonstrated a safety risk of the magnitude of these other violations. Now third, I would note this bill veers into areas of immigration policy. For instance, this bill bars DACA recipients, refugees, asylees, and other people who have entered the country legally, entered the country legally, and have a legal status in the United States, but bars them now from obtaining or maintaining a CDL. It blocks off job opportunities for people who are in this country legally and otherwise could meet qualifications to drive commercially. That's not a policy I can justify to the refugees or asylees in my district who have fled places of conflict like Ukraine, like Afghanistan, like Iraq, all folks who live in my district who are trying to make a life in my district and in this country while waiting and hoping and praying that their country of origin gets to a place where they can return. If this legislation's enacted, estimates are up to 200,000 drivers who took the same credentialing and safety tests as U.S. citizens, took the same credentialing and safety tests as U.S. citizens, will have their CDLs forcibly revoked and lose their job. The Trump administration's been completely unable to make any case that this policy would make our roadways safer. The administration's own rule on this issue acknowledges they cannot calculate the safety benefits. Based on the limited and imperfect data the administration could provide, fatalities involving non-domiciled CDL holders represent one-half of one percent of truck crash fatalities. Finally, the bill imposes sanctions of up to 12 percent of states' highway, road, and bridge funds for failure to implement the rule. I just, frankly, oppose the administration, almost every administration, giving them additional tools to hold transportation funding hostage from states over policies that aren't grounded in transportation. It's our responsibility on this committee to work to make our roads safer. Unfortunately, this bill, there's no indication that this bill will do that, the bill before us will do that today. So I would ask that as we move forward, Mr. Chair, that there's an opportunity for us to continue to work with you to get this bill in a position where we can support it, where it is bipartisan, and consider the debate we're having today about safety when we think about the surface transportation bill because we're going to have members of Congress bring up a myriad of safety-related bills or amendments in the surface transportation bill that will also have, require us to consider their impact on the safety of our roadways. With that, I yield back. Thank you.

Thanks, Rick. I now recognize myself for five minutes for a statement. And I'd like to thank Representative Rouzer, who's chairman of the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit, for introducing Dalilah's Law and for his leadership on this issue. I'd also like to thank Dalilah and her family for being here at the markup today. We are honored to be making legislative changes that are going to protect future families from experiencing the unimaginable tragedy that your family has gone through. As the President said in his most recent State of the Union address, it's time for Congress to pass legislation ensuring that only qualified truck drivers can obtain a CDL. Unfortunately, Dalilah is just one of many victims whose lives have been forever altered by reckless and unqualified drivers. This legislation ensures all truck drivers on our roads, all truck drivers on our roads can read and speak the English language. This is critical to ensuring that drivers are able to understand road signs and interact safely with inspectors. Just last month, an 80,000-pound truck was seen driving the wrong way for miles down Highway 61 in my district. Thankfully, the Missouri State Highway Patrol took the dangerous driver off the road before anyone was killed or injured. Law enforcement found that the driver did not understand road signage and was subsequently placed out of service. The state of Minnesota should have never issued a CDL to this driver in the first place. Under current law, CDL holders are required to demonstrate English proficiency in order to obtain a CDL, including the ability to read and understand road signs. However, some states allow the written portion of the CDL exam to be administered in languages other than English. California, for example, allows the written exam to be administered in 20 different languages. Not only does Dalilah's Law close this loophole by ensuring all portions of the CDL exam are only administered in English, but it also ensures that each state is only issuing CDLs to people here legally with clean driving records. Now is the time for Congress to address these safety issues and make sure only qualified drivers can get behind the wheel. And with that, I urge my colleagues to support this important piece of legislation. And with that, I recognize Mr. Fong.

Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you to Congressman Rouzer, both for your tremendous leadership on this important piece of legislation. A couple years ago, Dalilah Coleman and her stepfather Michael were driving in San Bernardino County, and they were seriously injured in a multi-vehicle pileup that was caused by an illegal immigrant driving a commercial 18-wheeler who sped through a construction zone and failed to stop. Due to this crash, Dalilah suffered lifelong injuries, including cerebral palsy, developmental delays, and loss of speech. The driver, who illegally entered the United States in October of 2022, was released under the Biden administration and held a California-issued CDL. This tragedy was preventable, and because of it, Dalilah's life is forever altered. But the Coleman family, who I introduced earlier today, who's here with us, has taken this tragedy and made it a cause to improve the safety of our roadways, not only in California but across the country. Today we have an opportunity to vote on a bill that I'm honored to co-sponsor that would help prevent another tragedy. This bill would ensure that states issue CDLs to those who can read and speak English, are here legally, and those who can safely operate heavy trucks. Our truckers play an important role in the movement of goods across our nation, and we must ensure that this can be done safely. This bill is a tremendous step forward, and I urge my colleagues to vote in support of this bill. And with that, I yield back.

Now recognize Mr. Taylor, five minutes.

Thank you, Chairman Graves and Ranking Member Larsen, for holding this markup today. I'm proud to speak in favor of the ANS to Dalilah's Law. It's common sense that if you want to drive an 80,000-pound truck, you should be able to read and understand the English language. Years ago, the federal government recognized this and created requirements to ensure that truck drivers across the United States could read road signs and communicate with law enforcement officers in English to obtain a commercial driver's license. Unfortunately, in 2016, the Obama administration decided to remove the English language proficiency requirement from the out-of-service criteria. As we have seen on the news, this has created disastrous conditions on the roads that have led to several tragic accidents. Thankfully, President Trump's administration has worked diligently to fix the previous administration's mistakes. Since President Trump's executive order requiring English language proficiency and Secretary Duffy's work on the implementation, at least 9,500 truck drivers have been taken off the road for failing to meet English language proficiency requirements. Now I'm proud to support this bill, which would codify President Trump's executive order and place additional safeguards to ensure that all CDL holders have English language proficiency. Additionally, this legislation would audit existing CDLs to ensure those who were awarded a CDL during previous administrations meet the requirements in place under the Trump administration. I want to thank Congressman Rouzer for including provisions from my legislation, Connor's Law, to ensure that tragic accidents like Connor DeZion's do not occur again. I encourage my colleagues to vote in favor of common-sense legislation that we have here today to keep our roads safe and protect American citizens. With that, I yield back.

Mr. Johnson.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This bill doesn't raise any standards. It's an anti-worker bill that raises barriers. It slaps an English-only mandate on the entire commercial driver's license written exam, a mandate that has nothing to do with safety and everything to do with shutting qualified drivers out. My amendment takes a, which I will make shortly, takes a targeted approach and it keeps one part of the test that actually matters for safety, recognizing highway traffic signs in English, and removes the blanket English-only requirement for the rest. Drivers still have to know the signs that keep everyone safe, and they shouldn't, they shouldn't be blocked from earning a living because they struggle with written English, which has nothing to do with their ability to operate a truck safely. And with that, I will yield back.

Mr. Perry.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We're here because the law isn't being complied with. That's why we're here. Dalilah Coleman and her family are here because the law is not being complied with. This law doesn't care why you're here, what your circumstances are. We have one standard. This law says just meet the standard. My goodness, reading doesn't have anything to do with safety? I'm not sure, well, I don't know why you make those statements, but I know who makes those statements. It's outrageous. I'm glad the committee is taking action to move Dalilah's Law and address the scourge of illegal alien truck drivers on our roads that have killed far too many Americans. And if it's only one percent, my goodness, Ms. Dalilah and her family wish they weren't included in that one percent. It's completely avoidable. I'm proud to be a co-sponsor of Representative Rouzer's critical legislation that ensures English language proficiency, requires states to verify that they are not issuing CDLs to people here illegally, and requires that they revoke those that have been issued, and significantly increases penalties for states that fail willingly, wantonly to comply. And it cracks down on bad actors in the industry who facilitate these illegal truckers for just profit while putting everybody else at risk. Unfortunately, under the administration of Governor Shapiro, this has become a significant problem in my home commonwealth of Pennsylvania. FMCSA found that Pennsylvania illegally issued non-domiciled CDLs, including to ineligible foreigners without verifying their legal status. They don't care. They don't care. They don't care about the people in America, the Americans that would like the job. And of course, these people probably do it a lot cheaper, which puts Americans out of work. Among other violations, PennDOT issued licenses that extended beyond the driver's authorized stay in the United States and, most concerningly, failed to require any proof of lawful presence before issuing a CDL. You don't just come here and take American jobs because you're here. Well, you shouldn't be able to. PennDOT's horrifying lax in illegal standards led to the Shapiro administration issuing a CDL to Akror Bazarov, an Uzbek illegal alien who's a known terrorist. Well, that's awesome. That's who we want in our country driving, driving an 80,000-pound vehicle that might be a bomb or anything else. Fortunately, under Secretary Duffy's leadership, DOT has taken corrective action, threatening to withhold tens of millions of dollars from the commonwealth to force Governor Shapiro to stop giving CDLs to people here illegally. Unfortunately, on February 3 of this very year, Governor Shapiro's recklessness cost the lives of four individuals in Indiana when Bekzhan Bishikeev, an illegal from Kyrgyzstan issued a CDL by PennDOT, swerved into oncoming traffic and killed four of the innocent individuals involved. These deadly crashes have become far too common in the aftermath of the Biden administration flooding our country with illegal foreign nationals and their leftist allies allowed untrained illegal aliens to crash 80,000-pound trucks into families and individuals. This reckless madness, and that's exactly what it is, must come to an end, and this bill will do that. I commend Representative Rouzer, the committee, and Secretary Duffy for taking decisive action to save American lives and stop this insane social experiment of the radical left, including my governor, Governor Shapiro. I support this bill and I yield the balance of the time.

Mr. Carbajal.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I'm extremely disappointed with the fact that this committee is considering H.R. 5688 today. While there are provisions here that reflect ideas Democrats have supported, like strengthening penalties for bad actor employers, reviewing third-party testing programs, and improving provider self-certification, which are constructive steps and we should be working together on them. But taken as a whole, this bill goes much further than its supporters suggest and in ways that are deeply alarming. At its core, the bill takes aim at commercial driver's licenses, or CDLs, in a way that is punitive rather than practical. First, despite how it has been characterized, this legislation does not narrowly target people who lack legal status to be in this country. Its impacts are significantly broader. It reaches drivers who are lawfully present, who have complied with federal requirements and who have been working safely and consistently in this country for years, in some cases decades. These drivers are already authorized to be here and to work. If this bill becomes law, they do not suddenly disappear from the workforce. They simply lose the ability to do the jobs they have trained for and relied on to support their families. There is no evidence presented here that these drivers are unsafe as a whole. There is no data showing a higher risk. Certainly there's been an incident, and it's tragic, but that does not characterize a whole group of people. And again, it's xenophobia as usual. Let's scapegoat someone. Let's go after those immigrants. Can we just stop? As a matter of fact, USDOT owns 2025, DOT's own 2025 estimates of truck fatalities involving non-domiciled drivers indicate that half of a percent of fatalities would involve a driver with a non-domiciled CDL. Yet here we are proposing to strip them of their livelihoods anyways. We should be clear about who that affects. These are individuals who in many cases have spent the majority of their lives in the United States, who have worked hard, followed the rules, and built honest careers in this country. They have driven safely for years, and under this bill they would lose their jobs overnight. Not only is this wrong, it's unjust and it's entirely unwarranted. And it comes exactly at the wrong time. We are in the middle of a national affordability crisis. Families across the country are struggling with rising cost of housing, basic groceries, and everyday essentials. In my district, I recently wrapped up a listening tour where I heard firsthand from my constituents how inflation and rising costs continue to strain pocketbooks. And a big part of that pressure is tied to the cost of getting goods to market, which depend on a strong trucking workforce. If we remove experienced currently employed drivers from the workforce without cause, we are not showing a problem, we are creating one. We risk exacerbating supply chain pressures, increasing delivery costs, and ultimately driving up prices for the American people and American families. At a time when people are already stretched thin, we should be focused on lowering cost of living, not advancing policies that make everyday goods more expensive and policies that are xenophobic and again, scapegoating of an entire group. Lastly, I want to address my disappointment with how this bill came together. This bill was developed and brought forward on a strictly partisan basis. Historically, this committee has taken pride in working in a bipartisan way to move forward smart policies that help our constituents. This was not the case today. I firmly believe we can and should work together on common sense improvements to safety and accountability in the CDL system. But this bill, as written, deeply misses the mark. I will be voting against this bill and encourage my colleagues to do the same because it's the usual immigrant bashing, xenophobic legislation. I yield back, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. Stauber.

Thank you very much, Representative Rouzer. I want to thank you for a great piece of legislation. We appreciate your hard work. You know, our nation is currently facing a major public safety crisis. Illegal immigrants, many of whom were let into this country thanks to Joe Biden's open border policies, are obtaining commercial driver's licenses. Most of these illegals cannot read English or understand the most basic road signs. Yet mismanaged blue states are allowing them to get behind the wheel of massive trucks. Don't take my word for it, just look at what happened a few weeks ago in Missouri. Footage recently went viral of a huge truck barreling down the wrong way of a Missouri highway, narrowly missing several cars for miles. The driver, a Somali national holding a commercial driver's license issued by my home state of Minnesota. Given the many issues we face in Minnesota under the failed leadership of Tim Walz, I guess I wasn't too surprised, but I was angry nonetheless to learn this. Police said the driver showed no signs of impairment or medical issues and determined the Somali driver, trucker, was going the wrong way simply because he couldn't read the road signs. Thanks to Missouri law enforcement, this dangerous trucker is now out of service. But not every story ends this way. Time and time again, we've heard tragic reports of illegal immigrant truck drivers maiming and killing innocent Americans. As a former law enforcement officer, I stood at crash scenes and looked into the eyes of grieving families who have lost everything in an instant. There is no worse pain. As a husband and a father, I know this is every family's worst nightmare. We cannot stop every accident on our roads, but we can stop these. That's why I urge my colleagues, Democrats and Republicans alike, to pass Dalilah's Law without delay. This legislation closes dangerous loopholes. It ensures no state is able to issue a commercial driver's license to an illegal immigrant. It puts American lives first by requiring strict verification of legal status and English proficiency for anyone operating these trucks. This really isn't and shouldn't be a partisan issue. This is about protecting our families and our communities regardless of politics. As my predecessor, former Democrat Congressman Jim Oberstar from Minnesota said, there are no Republican or Democrat roads, there are only American roads, and they must remain safe. Let's act now as the safety of every American depends on it. And to Dalilah and your family, we have your backs. Enough is enough. I can see the pain in your eyes. Nobody should be in your seats right now with the pain you have. That beautiful girl didn't deserve it. We're going to pass this, President's going to sign it, and we're going to keep our roads safe. Thank you, and I yield back.

Mr. Johnson.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It's an honor to be a co-sponsor of Dalilah's Law, it's an honor to be able to speak on it today, and it's an honor to be in the same room as Dalilah and her family. It's hard to comprehend how tragically their lives were impacted because of someone who was in this country illegally and had been illegally issued a commercial driver's license. CDL drivers are critically important to South Dakota's economy, particularly our agricultural industry. But we have to make sure that that CDL system does not compromise safety. When Federal Motor Carrier began their national audit of how states manage their CDL programs, I was more than a little surprised and disappointed when South Dakota was held up as being systemically non-compliant in following the federal rules. A hole in the South Dakota system had meant that people who were here illegally, people who had overstayed their visas, could be driving our nation's highways with a South Dakota CDL. All states, including South Dakota, need to abide by these incredibly important federal rules. Only people who are here lawfully should be driving on our nation's roads. Now you don't need to take my word for it or Congressman Rouzer's word for it, or President Trump's word for it. You also have, or frankly, Dalilah's family's word for it. You can also listen to the American Trucking Association, the South Dakota Trucking Association, that say we have to do better if we want to make our roads safer. Dalilah's Law has so many common sense reforms, but I want to focus on just three. Number one, it makes sure that states are checking the databases every single time they issue a CDL so that we do not have illegal immigrants getting a CDL. Number two, it makes sure that people are proficient in English, it ensures all CDL holders understand English. And number three, it ensures that the folks who have CDLs, if their visa expires within a year, that we're double checking that, that we're making sure that we don't issue them a CDL for longer than they're going to be here legally. It's unacceptable. It is unacceptable to have story after story in this country like the story of Dalilah's family, where systemic non-compliance by states, including my own, have had tragic impacts on American families. Dalilah's Law is a critically important step in the right direction. I am proud to be one of its co-sponsors, and I urge this committee to cast a yes vote. With that, I would yield back.

Mr. Collins.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. You know, as someone in the industry takes great pride in hauling things across this country, to see Dalilah and her family sitting there, it's, this is common sense. And that shouldn't have ever happened. And we should only have the best people driving these trucks across this country, period. And Mr. Chairman, as someone, I'm second generation in trucking industry, y'all. I mean, I've got the commercial driver's license in my pocket. I've had them for 40 years now. So I not only know what it takes to get these license and what you have to go through, but I also know how important it is to have commercial driver's license to be able to drive a truck. I, for the life of me, I can't understand how these, these, these license have been issued to people who can't speak or read English. I mean, not only do you have to take a written test, you've got to be able to identify parts on a truck or in the trailer, and you've got to take a road test. So how, how are these being issued? Listen, there is a reason that we call these people professional drivers. It's simple because they're out there on the roads with your family and with my family. And by God, I only want the best of the best out there. Because when things happen, they go bad fast. You know, what, what does it mean to, to be a trained driver? You know, not, not only do you have to, to be able to identify the truck parts like I talked about, Mr. Chairman, but what happens when you get to a customer and you can't talk to them? You can't read the bill of lading, you don't know what you're hauling. Or you need help securing the load, but you can't converse with people because they don't understand you. There's a lot more than just reading road signs. Xenophobic. This is where I want to focus on, on for this law though, Mr. Chairman. You know, we currently have CDL mills out there, I know you spoke on it when you were speaking, that are, that are handing out certificates basically to anybody that's breathing. Do y'all realize that, that we're seeing courses taught in Arabic, Russian? I don't see any Arabic or Russian signs in this country. I don't see any bill of ladings in it either. Dalilah's Law, that's something that truckers can get behind, and this trucker's behind it. This, this legislation is going to raise the standards, it's going to ensure that legal and qualified drivers share our roads and protect our families across this nation. Thank you, Representative Rouzer, for, for introducing this legislation. And Mr. Chairman, I encourage the passage of this as soon as possible.

Will the gentleman yield?

Yes, sir.

As a truck driver, can you think of any reason why this law would be labeled xenophobic?

That's, that's the part that I don't understand why we keep going down xenophobic when, when it's common sense that you've got to be able to read, write English and converse with people. This, this is not a job where you sit behind a desk or you're on a, a manufacturing line. We're not in four walls. We're out there on the motoring public with everybody else.

I mean, I would love to hear our Democrat colleagues explain with, with specificity why this law is xenophobic. And I don't have an explanation, I'm disgusted by the accusation, but I don't have an explanation.

No, I don't either. With that, Mr. Chairman, I yield back.

Mr. Figures.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I, I've sat here and I've listened to my colleagues on both sides of the aisle and to be totally honest with you, I don't, I don't disagree with much of what has been said by my Republican colleagues. I think we all agree that we need to be supportive of a system that ensures safety, that ensures qualified individuals can obtain CDLs, that there is consistency and transparency in the CDL process, and that we are putting the most qualified drivers on the road. I think we should all be generally supportive of that standard, and I'm supportive of the standard that if you are operating a commercial vehicle, you do need to be able to understand, speak, and read English. I, I don't disagree with any of those principles. And we have an opportunity here today to create a narrowly tailored solution to fix just that. I think the problem that I have, and I can't speak for any of my other colleagues, but the problem that I have is that this bill as currently drafted throws out the baby with the bathwater. And what I mean by that is if the goal here is to ensure that people who are obtaining CDLs, that they can read and speak English, then we can do that. But we have text before us that's going to eliminate people who have a lawful status in the United States who can speak English, who can read English, who can write English. This bill will eliminate some of those people from being able to obtain a CDL as written. And that is something that I think we have an obligation to address. I can agree, I mean, I work with many of my colleagues. I'd like to think that you guys know that I'm one of the most willing and open members in this entire body in terms of considering practical solutions to real problems, because this is a problem. Nobody should be sitting in that chair right now having to deal with what you guys are dealing with. Nobody. But we have an obligation here and we have a chance here to provide a real narrowly tailored solution that would address exactly the system that allowed this to transpire. But this bill currently as written goes a lot beyond just that and it eliminates some people who we say, I think collectively say, should be able to obtain a CDL. They are here lawfully. They can read, they can write, they can speak, they can pass the CDL test, they understand the road signs. But this bill as currently drafted would eliminate a lot of them from being able to participate in that profession. And it's my hope that we can get beyond that and narrowly tailor this solution in a way that can actually address the problem without buying into broader political views and ideologies around the broader immigration issue. And with that, I yield back, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Patronis.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I think I've probably had one of the better seats today. Lowest ranking guy usually doesn't really get to enjoy much, but hearing Dalilah laugh out loud just a minute ago was actually pretty cool. A child's presence has a certain disarming, a therapeutic effect. But mom and dad, you almost lost that voice. You almost lost the ability to hear that anymore. As a father of two boys, I can't imagine my life without them. And all we're trying to do is ensure that we never have that happen again. And this is just a step forward. This is a tool. So Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of H.R. 5688, Dalilah's Law. The bill bears the name of Dalilah Coleman, a five-year-old girl whose life was permanently changed as she was struck by a semi-truck driven by someone who should never have been on the roads in the first first place. Her story is heartbreaking, but it's also a warning. A warning about what happens when we fail to enforce our laws. A warning about what happens when safety takes a back seat to weak standards and political correctness. Dalilah's Law was built on a principle that shouldn't be controversial. American roads should be safe for American families. Every day our citizens drive along 80,000-pound commercial trucks. They're critical to every day. If you want groceries, you better pray that truck backs up every single day to your local supermarket. So it's a necessity that we've got to have these vehicles on the road. They're critical. But these aren't ordinary vehicles. These are machines that demand skill, they demand training, they demand accountability. Yet we have a system developed where unqualified individuals have been able to slip through the cracks. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank the President, Chairman Rouzer, and Chairman yourself for the leadership of bringing this much-needed legislation to this important issue. We have seen these issues warning without proper training. We've seen these so-called CDL mills as we heard about in other testimony, hand out certificates with very little oversight. We have seen cases where individuals cannot read basic English road signs, still put behind the wheel of these massive vehicles. And yes, we have seen states that properly fail to identify who they're licensing. This is not just negligence, it's a direct threat to public safety. Dalilah's Law takes decisive action. It requires commercial drivers to prove they can read, understand English, because road signs, warnings, and emergency instructions are not optional. It ensures unsafe drivers are immediately taken off the road. It requires proper verification to ensure that commercial vehicle licenses are only issued to those legally authorized to work in this country. And it cracks down on fraud, corruption, and abuse in the trucking system because criminals and bad actors have no place in our supply chain. Mr. Chairman, this is about restoring standards. It's about restoring accountability. And it's about putting the safety of the American people first, exactly where it belongs. We can't bring justice to every single tragedy, but we can make sure that we're not inviting the next one. For Dalilah and her family, thank you for being here. Thank you for your strength, your sacrifice. Every American on the road is appreciative. And I urge a yes vote on H.R. 5688. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I yield back.

Mr. Babin.

Yes, sir. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And I just recently came into the room and I was at another markup, but I just want to basically agree with what everybody's I've heard say, including my Democrat colleague, Mr. Figures over there. This is not a xenophobic law. This is a law that's going to save American lives. Or even if someone from a foreign country that could be here on a tourist visa. This is going to be something that is that will pass and absolutely save lives. And Dalilah, we pray for you, we pray for your dad and your family. And we appreciate you being here today. As a grandfather of 17 grandchildren, I can tell you that I support this wholeheartedly. Appreciate Mr. Rouzer, my friend, in this amendment and I heartily support this and urge that both sides of this aisle vote for this necessary law. And I yield back. Thank you.

Mr. Van Drew.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And it's all been said, but I just, you know, I saw you folks when we were in front of Judiciary and as you know, I'm the chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Judiciary. We're going to take that show on the road. We're going to have field hearings about what happened to you and what's happened to others. We had a lot of the Angel Moms there. And you know, people will say, gee, I know, you know, I'm so sorry, I know how you feel. No, I don't. I don't know, I am sorry. I'm as sorry as you can't imagine how sorry I am that you're going through this. I don't know how you feel. Nobody sitting here knows how you feel because it's something you can't describe, you can't articulate into words. The point of what I'm saying is there are occasions where legislation truly and profoundly affect people's lives each and every day. And we shouldn't even, honestly, this should be law already. We shouldn't even need to debate it. It shouldn't be a big discussion. It's just common sense. It's the right thing because otherwise it'll be somebody else's child, somebody else's mother, father, granddaughter, grandson. It will be somebody else. Somebody else that will try to say we know how you feel, but we don't. So I say to you, and I mean this and we said that at the time in Judiciary, we're saying it again here. Congress, God help us sometimes, we're, I'm going to be very outspoken, we're not the most effective body in the world. We want to be, especially on this issue, we want to help you. We want you to know the one thing that is a truism here is because of what you've suffered through, you are changing the world around you. You're making it better. You're going to save somebody else's life because of what you stand for. Because you could have just been angry, resentful, run away, hide, and not do anything. And you chose to advocate. You chose to become involved. You chose to care about other families and your neighbors. And God is going to bless you for that. And I mean it. This needs to be done. I hope that this is a unanimous decision. So vote for this legislation. I want to thank Mr. Rouzer. I'm very proud as many of us are to be a cosponsor of this legislation. And you will see us and I hope we work with you when we get on the road and that Oversight Committee because we want to bring this back to all through America what this matters. And the last thing I want to say on this, when we were debating this idea in Judiciary, somebody said, well, when I go to a foreign country, I don't have a license there and I can't speak their language, but I'm still allowed to drive. Damn it, they're not driving 18-wheelers. An 18-wheeler can be a lethal weapon. So this makes sense. It's the right thing to do. God bless you for taking the time with all that you're going through to be here today, to be at the State of the Union. And God bless you, I truly believe that God will bless you. Thank you. Mr. Chairman, I yield back.

We're now considering the bill, open for amendments. For what purpose does Mr. Shreve seek recognition?

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chairman, I'd like to reserve a point of order.

Point of order is reserved. Clerk, please designate the amendment.

An amendment to the amendment in the nature of a substitute to H.R. 5688 offered by Mr. Shreve of Indiana, number 051.

Without objection, the amendment will be considered as read. Mr. Shreve is recognized for five minutes to speak on your amendment.

Chairman Graves, thank you. I appreciate the work that this committee has put into this issue and I thank Mr. Rouzer for his leadership on this bill. I'm proud to join him as one of the many cosponsors. This, despite the partisan conjecture this morning, is not about politics, it's about public safety. And it's about protecting innocent people on our roads. On October 21 of 2025, in Portage, Indiana, Jeffrey Eberly was killed in a multi-vehicle crash caused by an illegal alien driving without a valid commercial license. On February 3, in Jay County, Indiana, four members of our Amish community were killed by an illegal immigrant who had a issued CDL out of Pennsylvania. On February 18 of this year, in Hendricks County, Indiana, Terry Schultz of Carmel was killed after his vehicle was struck by a semi-truck that ran a red light. The driver was an illegal alien. These aren't isolated cases. This is not confined to Indiana. This bill matters. It addresses a deadly safety threat moving down our highways at 70 miles an hour. I'm especially supportive of the provision targeting CDL mills, a practice that has drawn national attention into my district in Greenwood, Indiana. These mills operate as shell companies. They register multiple trucking businesses to a single address, often a single-family home in a residential neighborhood, for one purpose: to exploit loopholes, to churn out fraudulent CDLs and put unqualified drivers, too often illegal immigrants, behind the wheels of heavy trucks. This puts every family at risk. This bill gives state, federal, and industry stakeholders stronger tools to identify bad actors, enforce rigorous training standards, and restore accountability to the system. I'm offering this amendment not because the underlying bill is inadequate, but because we should go further. We should use the technology already available to prevent more deaths. Most states rely on the Department of Homeland Security's Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements, or SAVE database, to verify legal status. The problem is the SAVE database can be months out of date. When states are making licensing decisions based on sale information, the consequences can be deadly. My amendment would help turn the lagging system into a real-time verification tool that states can trust. Lives have already been lost because the current system has failed us. We've got a duty to close these loopholes before more Americans pay the price. I support this legislation. I strongly support improving upon it where we can. One life lost is too many, and three Hoosier tragedies within the confine of a few months is a warning we should not ignore. We need action. We need it now. Mr. Chairman, I understand this amendment falls outside the committee's jurisdiction. Therefore, I ask unanimous consent to withdraw the amendment.

Without objection, it's so ordered. For what purpose does Mr. Taylor seek recognition?

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Please designate.

An amendment to the amendment in the nature of a substitute to H.R. 5688 offered by Mr. Taylor of Ohio, number 069.

Without objection, the amendment will be considered as read. Mr. Taylor, you're recognized for five minutes.

Thank you, Chairman. Thank you, Ranking Member. My amendment would designate the English language proficiency requirement as Connor's Law in honor of Connor DeZion. In the fall of 2017, Connor enrolled at the University of North Florida, where he dreamed of obtaining a PhD in physical therapy. Unfortunately, due to a driver who was unable to read the road signs, Connor tragically lost his life in September of 2017. After hearing about Connor's story, I introduced Connor's Law to codify President Trump's executive order requiring English language proficiency to obtain a CDL. And I was very much, I very much appreciate Rep. Rouzer including this language in Dalilah's Law. My amendment would simply rename the English proficiency section to honor the life and memory of Connor DeZion and those who have tragically lost their lives to drivers who are unable to understand the English language. Urge my colleagues to vote in favor of my amendment, and I yield back.

Mr. Rouzer.

Mr. Chairman, I support the amendment. I yield.

Anyone else wish to be heard on the amendment? Seeing no one, are there any amendments to the amendment? Seeing none, the question is on the amendment. All those in favor signify by saying aye.

Aye.

All opposed signify by saying nay.

No.

In the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. The amendment is agreed to. For what purpose does Mr. Garcia seek recognition?

To the bill.

You have an amendment?

Yes, I have an amendment.

Please designate.

An amendment to the amendment in the nature of a substitute to H.R. 5688 offered by Mr. Garcia of Illinois, number 058.

Without objection, the amendment will be considered as read. Mr. Garcia, I recognize you for five minutes.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Right now, this bill would let federal government take away a person's livelihood for an entire year based on a roadside inspector's split-second judgment about their English language skills. No notice, no review, no chance to defend yourself. One moment, one opinion, and just like that, the career is gone. That is not how America is supposed to work. My amendment is about making sure that we don't forget due process, the constitutional guardrail that protects people from exactly this kind of government overreach. It ensures that before a one-year disqualification is imposed, the driver gets notice, a real chance to contest the decision, time to present evidence, and the language support needed to actually participate. This amendment doesn't change enforcement authority and it doesn't weaken safety. It just stops the government from handing out year-long punishments on the spot with no recourse or review, no respect for the due process rights of people legally residing in the U.S. We cannot and we should not toss these bare minimum protections aside before taking away someone's ability to provide for their family. Nobody would accept being fired from their job because of one person's snap judgment without having a chance to explain themselves, and we shouldn't accept it here. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.

Mr. Rouzer.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I oppose the gentleman's amendment for one, it's unnecessary and would delay the disqualification of drivers found to be out of compliance with English language proficiency requirements. Right now, being out of service for a ELP violation is treated as nothing more than an inconvenience, with most drivers getting right back behind the wheel in a matter of hours or days. One motor carrier alone received 159 ELPs out-of-service violations. Get this, despite reporting only two trucks and one driver. Unbelievable. This is insanity. The bill's premise is simple: if you are placed out of service for ELP, you are disqualified from driving a commercial motor vehicle for one year. It's time to clear unqualified drivers off of our roads. The FMCSA already has a well-known appeals process through the DataQ system for challenging erroneous out-of-service violations. And if a person is mistakenly put out of service for an ELP violation, they can appeal that like all other out-of-service violations through the existing system. So again, Mr. Chairman, I have to oppose the gentleman's amendment. It's totally and completely unnecessary. I yield back.

Does anyone else wish to be heard on the amendment? Seeing none, are there any amendments to the amendment? Seeing none, the question is on the amendment. All those in favor signify by saying aye.

Aye.

All opposed signify by saying nay.

No.

In the opinion of the chair, the nays have it. The gentleman requests a recorded vote. As previously announced, pursuant to committee rule 6F, further proceedings on the question will be postponed. For what purpose does Mr. Garcia seek recognition?

I have an amendment at the desk.

Please designate.

An amendment to the amendment in the nature of a substitute to H.R. 5688 offered by Mr. Garcia of Illinois, number 059.

Without objection, the amendment will be considered as read. Mr. Garcia, you're recognized for five minutes.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This bill doesn't raise any standards. It's anti-worker bill that raises barriers. It slaps an English-only mandate on the entire commercial driver's license written exam, a mandate that has nothing to do with safety and everything to do with shutting qualified drivers out. My amendment takes a targeted approach. It keeps the one part of the test that actually matters for safety: recognizing highway traffic signs in English, and removes the blanket English-only requirement for the rest. Drivers still have to know the signs that keep everyone safe, but they shouldn't be blocked from earning a living because they struggle with written English that has nothing to do with operating a truck. This bill creates a barrier for the sake of creating a barrier. It doesn't make the road safer, it just makes the workforce smaller. At a time when we're already facing a driver shortage, we should not be inventing new ways to push people out of the industry. This amendment stops the government from turning a license test into a language test, and it says clearly that if someone can safely operate a commercial vehicle, we shouldn't be standing in their way. If this bill is about really improving safety, then let's stop using this bill to police immigration status. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.

Will the gentleman yield?

Sure.

I'm not sure I understand the amendment. Are you, are you saying that you, that you do not have to read English to have a CDL?

If it isn't relevant to safety and the operation of the vehicle. Correct.

Isn't understanding and reading English related to understanding road signs?

To the operation of a vehicle.

So by your amendment, you're saying that someone does not have to be able to read or speak English, they can still receive a CDL.

The amendment specifically states that you have to have a certain proficiency in English.

And how would you measure that?

By engaging in assessments that determine whether you're able to operate a vehicle safely. Thank you.

Mr. Rouzer.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I must oppose this amendment. If adopted, it would basically gut the bill's English language proficiency requirements and restrict that requirement to unspecified safety-critical road signage. Now, if not all road signage is, most, pardon me, most if not all road signage is safety-critical and is important to keep truckers and the general public safe by relaying important information. Additionally, long-standing English language proficiency requirements necessitate that a driver be able to respond and converse with law enforcement, respond to official inquiries, and make entries on reports and records. Each of these items is a matter of safety, and each requires English language proficiency. I don't think there's any question about that. Period. This amendment undermines the safety issues this bill seeks to address, and I strongly urge everyone to vote no. I yield back.

Does anyone else wish to be heard on the amendment? Seeing no one, are there any amendments to the amendment? Seeing none, the question is on the amendment by Mr. Garcia. All those in favor signify by saying aye.

Aye.

All opposed signify by saying nay.

Nay.

In the opinion of the chair, the nays have it. The gentleman requests a recorded vote on the amendment. As previously announced, pursuant to committee rule 6F, further proceedings on the question are postponed. The chair advises members we will be voting after this next amendment. The next amendment is the last one, so please start making your way back to the committee room. Next, for what purpose does Mr. Larsen seek recognition?

Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Please designate.

An amendment to the amendment in the nature of a substitute to H.R. 5688, offered by Ranking Member Larsen, number 020.

Without objection, the amendment is considered as read. Mr. Larsen is recognized for five minutes.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, my amendment ensures people who are legally authorized to work in the U.S. are able to apply for or maintain a commercial driver's license. My amendment goes to the heart of my concern with this bill. As drafted, the underlying bill bars DACA recipients, refugees, asylees, and other people who entered the country legally or have legal status from obtaining a CDL. In my district, I do hear routinely from refugees and asylees who fled conflict for a promise of a better future in this country. People from Eritrea, from Ukraine, from Afghanistan, from Iraq. I strongly support welcoming these individuals to participate meaningfully in our society, our community, and our economy. My amendment ensures that we do not arbitrarily block off the job opportunities for these folks who are in the country legally and are legally authorized to work. They still have to comply with all of the rules in order to get a CDL, but this bill cuts off that opportunity altogether. Failure to adopt my amendment means that up to 200,000 drivers will lose their jobs, even if they have no record of safety problems. The administration has failed to show how this particular provision that's currently in the bill improves safety, and as a result, they've been challenged in federal court. My amendment doesn't solve all the problems of this bill, but failure to adopt it will cause a massive disruption for drivers who are legally here, legally authorized to work, and legally obtained a CDL, as well as disruption for the communities that they serve. So I urge its adoption and yield back.

Mr. Rouzer.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I must oppose this amendment, of course. The Biden administration's open border policies allowed millions of illegal immigrants to flood into our country without being properly vetted. Asylum seekers were given work authorizations and allowed to apply for a CDL without any regard for their driving history. Dalilah's Law sets very clear standards for who is eligible to receive a non-domiciled CDL and ensures those individuals are here for a legitimate employment reason. We have to hold the drivers on our roads to the very highest standards, and that means properly vetting every single driver. So I urge my colleagues to oppose the amendment. I yield back.

Mr. Garcia.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Before I make my substantive remarks in support of this amendment, I want to join my colleagues in acknowledging the presence of the Coleman family with their beautiful daughter, Dalilah. I share that with you because as a father who has lost two daughters, not to the tragic circumstances that you are experiencing, Mr. Coleman and Mrs. Coleman, but I understand and I'm especially sensitive to your pain and loss and the difficult road ahead for you as a family. But we're here discussing road safety policy today, and that's what I speak to. Substance and relevance. Less than one percent, less than one percent of fatal crashes last year likely involved a non-citizen, per U.S. DOT's own account. Despite that, U.S. DOT and my Republican colleagues now seek to penalize some 200,000 individuals by taking away their CDLs and forcing them to find other jobs. I want to be clear. These people, including DACA recipients, TPS holders, and refugees, are legally in the U.S. They have valid work authorizations. They earned their CDL by passing all their necessary safety and skill tests, just like U.S. citizens do. But these facts don't seem to matter to my colleagues. Instead, the targeting of immigrants in Trump's America continues. Because if we were sincere about safety, we would have tried a bipartisan approach. Who's against safety? It's not enough for Republicans that immigrants are being chased down on our nation's streets or outside of courtrooms. It's not enough that they're kidnapped and thrown into filthy detention centers without adequate food or medicine in many instances. Republicans are now coming after the people who did it the right way. This bill threatens immigrants' ability to earn a living and feed their families. They claim that it's in the name of roadway safety, and yet they're pushing legislation that makes trucks heavier and allow the proliferation of automatic trucks with no safety oversight. So this isn't about safety only. It's about taking every opportunity to scapegoat immigrants and support Donald Trump's authoritarian crackdown on America. For these reasons, I support the Ranking Member's amendment, and I thank him for leading this effort. I urge all my colleagues to support the amendment. Thank you, and I yield back.

Anyone else wish to be heard on the amendment? Seeing no one, are there any amendments to the amendment? Seeing none, the question is on the amendment by Mr. Larsen. All those in favor signify by saying aye.

Aye.

All opposed signify by saying nay.

No.

The nays appear to have it.

Ask for a recorded vote.

The gentleman requests a recorded vote on the amendment. As previously announced, pursuant to committee rule 6F, further proceedings on the question are postponed. We're going to take a brief recess so the members can return to the committee room so we can proceed with our votes. Call the committee back to order. The committee previously postponed proceedings on the amendment in the nature of a substitute to HR 5688. The question is now on the amendment to the amendment in the nature of a substitute to HR 5688 previously postponed. First, amendment 58 offered by Mr. Garcia of Illinois on behalf of Mr. Johnson of Georgia, in which a recorded vote was ordered, which was not agreed to by voice vote, is a recorded vote still ordered?

Yes.

A recorded vote is requested. Members will record their votes using the electronic system. The chairman intends to vote no.

Ranking member votes yes.

Open the vote. Have all members been recorded who wish to be recorded? Is any member wish to change their vote? Hearing none, please close the vote and announce the total.

Mr. Chairman, on that vote, there are 24 yeas and 35 nays.

By vote of 24 yeas and 35 nays, the amendment is not agreed to. Next, amendment 59 offered by Mr. Garcia of Illinois on behalf of Mr. Johnson of Georgia, in which a recorded vote was ordered, which was not agreed to by voice vote, is a recorded vote still requested? Next, amendment 20 offered by Mr. Larsen of Washington, in which a recorded vote was ordered, which was not agreed to by voice vote, is a recorded vote still requested?

Yes.

A recorded vote is still requested. Members will record their votes using the electronic voting system. The chairman intends to vote no.

Ranking member votes yes.

Clerk now open the vote on amendment 20 offered by Mr. Larsen. Has everyone voted that wishes to be recorded? Does any member wish to change their vote? Hearing none, the clerk close the vote and announce the total.

Mr. Chairman, on that vote, there are 27 yeas and 34 nays.

By vote of 27 yeas and 34 nays, the amendment is not agreed to. The question is now on the amendment in the nature of a substitute to HR 5688 as amended. All those in favor signify by saying aye.

Aye.

All opposed signify by saying nay. The ayes have it. The amendment in the nature of a substitute as amended is agreed to. The question is now on adoption of and favorably reporting of HR 5688 as amended to the House of Representatives. All those in favor signify by saying aye.

Aye.

All those opposed signify by saying nay.

Nay.

The ayes have it.

Recorded vote.

A recorded vote is requested. Members will record their votes using the electronic voting system. The chairman intends to vote aye.

Ranking member votes no.

Clerk open the board. And this is final passage, by the way. Has everyone voted that wishes to be recorded? Does anyone wish to change their vote? Clerk, close the board, announce the total.

Mr. Chairman, on that vote, there are 35 ayes and 26 nays.

By a vote of 35 ayes and 26 nays, the bill as amended is agreed to and ordered favorably reported to the House. And without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. Thank you all for participating in today's markup. I ask unanimous consent that each measure ordered reported today be reported as a single amendment in the nature of a substitute incorporating any amendments adopted. Without objection, that is so ordered. I'd ask unanimous consent that the staff be authorized to make any and all necessary technical, clarifying, and conforming changes to each of the measures ordered reported today to reflect the actions of the committee. And without objection, that is so ordered. Pursuant to House Rule 22, Clause 1, I'd ask unanimous consent that the Chairman or his designee be authorized to offer such motions as may be necessary in the House to go to conference with the Senate on the legislation adopted today or any similar measure. Without objection, that is so ordered. I'd ask unanimous consent that the Chairman, after consultation with the Ranking Member, have authority to strike or revise any provision of the measure ordered reported today that would cause a sequential referral to another committee or that would cause the bill to be subject to a Budget Act or Rule 21 PAYGO point of order. And without objection, that is so ordered. Pursuant to House Rule 11, Clause 2(l), I'd ask unanimous consent that all members of the committee have at least two calendar days in which to file any supplemental, minority, additional, or dissenting views on the legislation adopted today. Without objection, that is so ordered. Pursuant to Rule 6 of the Rules of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, I'd note the presence of a quorum for all actions taken on all committee business today. With that, the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure has completed its business, and the committee stands adjourned.