On the recordNovember 4, 2015
This amendment would strike a limited pilot program that is authorizing drivers over the age of 19\1/ 2\ to enter into a graduated program to obtain a commercial driver's license. The program is very limited to a number of States and a number of carriers that can participate. It also includes a number of safety requirements and a GAO report to Congress examining its safety impacts. Mr. Chairman, what is interesting about the way present law is is that a driver of the age that is being addressed here could drive all the way across the State of Missouri, for instance, but they can't drive 10 miles in the city of Kansas City, across town, because it is over a State line. It doesn't make a whole lot of sense, and it actually hampers a whole lot of businesses out there that operate in communities like Kansas City, St. Louis, and St. Joseph that are actually split by a State line. The trucking industry is facing a severe shortage in the number of drivers. With freight expected to increase 30 percent over the next 10 years, the driver shortage is only going to worsen. We need to get more young people interested in careers in the transportation industry. It is as simple as that. This is a limited pilot program. It represents a delicate compromise that would accomplish a very important goal. I urge Members to oppose the amendment. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.
