Bipartisan SAFE Bill Introduced in Senate
Last Tuesday, ATA hailed the bipartisan introduction of a bill to combat the growing issue of chameleon carriers. The Safety and Accountability in Freight Enforcement (SAFE) Act would require a federal agency study of the issue and direct FMCSA to improve tools to detect fraudulent chameleon carrier registrations.
“Chameleon carriers are a plague on our nation’s highways, putting all motorists at risk while undercutting the vast majority of trucking companies that operate safely and play by the rules,” said ATA SVP of Legislative Affairs Alex Rosen. “This legislation will give FMCSA a more powerful and proactive tool to identify and stop these bad actors before they can evade accountability by reappearing under new names, ownership, or USDOT numbers. By leveraging advanced automation to flag suspicious registration applications, the agency will be better equipped to detect fraud, close loopholes, and keep unsafe carriers off our roads. Safety is a priority for our members, which is why we are grateful for the leadership of Senator Young and Senator Kim to strengthen federal oversight and build on the progress we’ve made alongside USDOT to remove high-risk carriers from our nation’s highways.”
Sonderling DOL Nomination Sent to Senate Floor
On Thursday, the Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (HELP) Committee approved the nomination of Keith Sonderling to serve as the next Secretary of Labor by a party-line vote. Sonderling now awaits confirmation by the full Senate, which will likely be debated in September.
ATA strongly supports his nomination and submitted a letter to the Committee encouraging his swift confirmation. The letter of support noted that Sonderling possesses the deep workforce expertise, strong policy judgment, and agency management experience that is vitally important to ensuring steady, thoughtful leadership of DOL.
Trump Presses Thune for Reconciliation 3.0
Last week, President Trump pushed Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) to take up debate of a budget resolution that would provide $95 billion in deficit spending for the war in Iran ($73 billion), aid to farmers ($12 billion), and efforts to prevent voting fraud ($10 billion). The bill does not include any proposals for changes to tax revenues, which potentially would have been a vehicle for key ATA priorities.
Majority Leader Thune has publicly stated that there are not 50 Republican votes in support of the budget resolution, and as a result will not bring it to the Senate floor. The resolution passed the House by a narrow majority on July 22nd. Should this proposal advance, the budget resolution would set up conflicts with the Senate Parliamentarian and moderate Senate Republicans.
Congress has a very limited window to debate legislation prior to the November midterm Congressional elections. ATA will work closely with champions of the trucking industry to advance trucking priorities on any legislation that can pass Congress in 2026.
Congress Preparing Short-Term Extensions for September
With the House adjourned for work and campaigning in their home districts in August, and the Senate working to finalize its last legislative items before the recess, key extensions are under negotiation to avoid government shutdowns at the end of September. In particular, federal agency funding is likely to be extended on a bipartisan basis through mid-December. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chair Shelley Moore Capito has stated publicly that she expects a short-term extension of surface transportation programs to accompany the continuing resolution.
While the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee has approved a bipartisan proposal for highway infrastructure and safety funding, the Senate Committees in charge of these issues have not yet released their own proposals. Congressional debate on a long-term extension of transportation authorizations will occur through the post-midterm election period and, likely, into the 120th Congress next year. ATA is working closely with House and Senate leaders to ensure that the top priorities of the trucking industry are included in reauthorization proposals at every opportunity.
Election Update
The next state primary elections will be held in Virgina, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, and Washington on August 4th.
Committee Notes
- On Wednesday, July 29th, the Senate HELP Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety held a hearing titled ”The Impact of AI on the Workforce.” Witnesses from Indiana, Virginia, Colorado, and Michigan discussed strategies to help job seekers navigate this new environment.
- On Wednesday, July 29th, Senate Environment & Public Works Ranking Member Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE), and Reps. Scott Peters (D-CA) and Paul Tonko (D-NY) reintroduced the Carbon Dioxide Leadership Act in the House and the Senate. The bill would encourage carbon dioxide removal through increased regulatory monitoring and reporting standards by the Department of Energy and invest in domestic clean energy workforce opportunities.
- On Thursday, July 30th, the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Telecommunications and Media held a hearing to discuss the impact of AI on telecommunications. The Subcommittee heard from public and private stakeholders about how the government can support the interconnectivity of an AI fueled future.
Grassroots Update
Following advocacy from the Florida Trucking Association, Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) became the 50th Senate cosponsor of the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act. Interested in engaging with your Senators on CORCA? Please click this link to send a letter to your Senators asking for their continued support.
ATA’s Call on Washington program will return with the Moving & Storage Conference’s annual visit to Washington D.C. on September 16th. Interested in participating in Call on Washington or hosting a truck terminal visit with your Member of Congress? Email Abbey Schroeder (aschroeder@trucking.org).
The Week Ahead
The House has adjourned for August recess, but the Senate is in session this week. The next Hill Report will be sent on August 10th.