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Congressional Daily Record
This section focuses on legislation moving through Congress. It mentions legislation such as No Licenses for Illegal Drivers or Truckers Act of 2026, committees such as Committee on Environment and Public Works, members such as John A. Barrasso.
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April 16, 2026
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Download official Senate Record PDFReturn to issue contextBy Mr. BARRASSO (for himself, Mr. Cornyn, Ms. Lummis, and Mr.
Scott of South Carolina):
S. 4317. A bill to amend title 23, United States Code, to withhold Federal highway funding from States that issue driver's licenses, commercial driver's licenses, or personal identification cards to individuals without verifying the legal status of those individuals, and for other purposes; to the
Committee on Environment and Public Works.
Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, I come to the floor to express the beliefs of so many Americans, and that is that illegal immigrants should never be given a driver's license in the United States of America. It is just common sense. These are people who are here illegally.
driver's licenses to illegal immigrants, and that includes regular licenses as well as commercial driver's licenses.
Every U.S. Senator needs to say where they stand on this critical issue. It is time to make it clear that giving State-issued licenses to illegal immigrants is not in the best interest of our Nation's safety or our Nation's security. In February, President Trump called on Congress to ban States from issuing driver's licenses to illegal immigrants. My legislation does just that, and then it goes further.
or Truckers Act—requires States to verify that every person who applies for a driver's license—every single one—including, certainly, a commercial driver's license, is in this country legally. It is not just for driver's licenses. It also should be for a government ID.
the Federal transportation funding that they receive from the Federal Government, and that is a lot of money for many States, especially for some of these big, blue States. The funds that we withhold will go to the States that actually follow the law.
So let's put it in plain terms what this means. California: If in California Governor Gavin Newsom continues to issue driver's licenses to illegal immigrants—and they are doing it right now—California would surrender 10 percent of the money that they get from the Federal Government for highways. They are getting $5.8 billion, so they would surrender $580 million, which would go to States like mine and the Presiding Officer's that comply with the law.
a significant penalty. I believe it is worth it in order to keep the American people safe.
of Columbia—that currently provide driver's licenses to illegal immigrants. No proof of citizenship is needed. In some of those States, such as Oregon, it is even worse than that because they have laws in place called motor voter laws. So what is a motor voter law? Well, it means that, when an illegal immigrant is given a driver's license, the State then automatically registers them to vote.
I mean, think about that.
register you to vote. Then the Democrats say, oh, they don't try to get illegal immigrants to vote. They make it automatic in the State of Oregon. We know that in Oregon hundreds of illegal immigrants have been registered to vote because of this policy, which is irresponsible, and they know it. They don't seem to care.
This, to me, raises serious questions about election integrity. Allowing illegal immigrants to obtain driver's licenses make our roads less safe, and it also makes our elections less secure.
larger Republican drive to keep our Nation safe. The last administration threw open our borders to illegal immigrants. More than 10 million illegal immigrants flooded into our Nation. Under President Trump and Republicans, the border is now secure, and law enforcement has been restored.
been released into this country. President Trump and Republicans stopped this dangerous policy of catch-and-release—catch illegal immigrants and release them into the country. Never again.
fund and fully support the men and women of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement and the U.S. Border Patrol.
IDs to illegal immigrants makes America safer. They are wrong, and they know they are wrong.
crashes. Remember Dalilah Coleman? She was a 5-year-old girl who nearly died in a car accident caused by an illegal immigrant truckdriver. President Trump told her story right here in Congress during his State of the Union. Dalilah's story is sadly becoming all too common.
recovery during the State of the Union Address, there was another deadly crash in Indiana this time. An illegal immigrant truckdriver caused it. Four American citizens were killed.
Well, what about the driver? The driver entered this country because of the policies of Joe Biden and the Democrats. He received a commercial driver's license because of the radical policies of the Democrat Governor of Pennsylvania Josh Shapiro.
tragedies like this one will never happen again. My bill gives States a simple choice: protect American citizens or lose Federal funding.
licenses all across the United States, and there is no guarantee that all of them—or any of them—meet the same training and safety standards that are required of American truckdrivers. This should concern all of us.
criminals than protect law-abiding citizens. In my home State of Wyoming, we do things differently than what comes out of Washington and so many of these Democrat-run States. We do not issue driver's licenses to illegal immigrants. Furthermore, if an illegal immigrant is arrested driving in Wyoming with a license from another State, it is a crime punishable by up to 6 months in jail.
So let me tell you about Wyoming. Since last October, officers in Laramie County have arrested 40—40—illegal immigrants driving commercial vehicles. Officers in Sweetwater County have arrested 14 more. Officers in Crook County arrested more still.
going across the country, carrying cargo. They have been stopped because they provide danger.
All of these illegal immigrants were turned over to ICE and removed. That is how the system ought to work. Every State in America should follow Wyoming's lead.
The Senate has a duty to protect American citizens. I have a responsibility to protect the people of Wyoming. I believe the Senate should pass the No Licenses for Illegal Drivers and Truckers Act.
Wyoming, Senator John Cornyn of Texas for joining me and cosponsoring the legislation.
immigrants. We need to keep America safe. It is time for this Senate to stand up for law-abiding American citizens, not illegal immigrants.
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.
S. 4317
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the “No Licenses for Illegal
Drivers or Truckers Act of 2026”.
SEC. 2. PRESERVING THE INTEGRITY OF STATE-ISSUED DRIVER'S
LICENSES, COMMERCIAL DRIVER'S LICENSES, AND
PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION CARDS.
(a) In General.—Chapter 1 of title 23, United States Code,
is amended by inserting after section 154 the following:
“Sec. 155. Preserving the integrity of State-issued driver's
licenses, commercial driver's licenses, and personal
identification cards
“(a) Definitions.—In this section:
“(1) Commercial driver's license.—The term `commercial
driver's license' has the meaning given the term in section
31301 of title 49.
“(2) Driver's license.—The term `driver's license' means
a motor vehicle operator's license (as defined in section
30301 of title 49).
“(3) Evidence of lawful presence.—The term `evidence of
lawful presence' means valid, unexpired documentary evidence
issued by the Secretary of Homeland Security that a person
is—
“(A) a citizen or national of the United States; or
“(B) an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence
(as those terms are defined in section 101(a) of the
Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)).
“(4) Personal identification card.—The term `personal
identification card' means an identification document (as
defined in section 1028(d) of title 18) issued by a State.
“(b) Withholding of Funds for Noncompliance.—
“(1) In general.—On October 1, 2026, and each October 1
thereafter, the Secretary shall withhold from a State 10
percent of the amounts required to be apportioned to the
State under paragraphs (1) through (8) of section 104(b) for
a fiscal year if that State does not have in effect and is
enforcing a law that meets the requirements described in
subsection (e).
“(2) Duration.—If, before the last day of the fiscal year
for which funds are withheld under this section, the
Secretary determines that the State is in compliance with
this section, the Secretary shall, on the first day on which
the Secretary makes that determination, apportion to the
State the funds withheld from that State for that fiscal year
under this section.
“(c) Redistribution of Withheld Funds.—On the first
October 1 after a fiscal year for which amounts were withheld
from a State under this section, the Secretary shall
redistribute those amounts to States that are in compliance
with this section so that each State in compliance with this
section receives an amount equal to the proportion that—
“(1) the amount apportioned to the State under section
104(b); bears to
“(2) the total amount apportioned to all States in
compliance with this section under section 104(b).
“(d) Effect of Withholding.—Except as provided in
subsection (b), no funds withheld under this section from
apportionment to a State shall be available to a State.
“(e) Law to Require and Verify Lawful Presence.—
“(1) In general.—A State shall be in compliance with this
section if the State has in effect and is enforcing a law to
require and subsequently verify evidence of lawful presence
from each applicant for a driver's license, commercial
driver's license, or personal identification card issued by
the State.
“(2) Requirement.—A law referred to in paragraph (1)
shall employ a means approved by the Secretary of Homeland
Security—
“(A) to confirm the identity of an applicant for a
driver's license, commercial driver's license, or personal
identification card through electronic validation of
biographic and biometric information, including the name,
photograph, and fingerprints of the applicant;
“(B) to confirm the validity of the lawful presence of an
applicant described in subparagraph (A), including whether
the applicant has lawfully maintained that lawful presence,
through the results of background and security checks,
including fingerprint checks by the Federal Bureau of
Investigation; and
“(C) to verify the authenticity of the evidence of lawful
presence provided by an applicant described in subparagraph
(A), which shall include an identity document containing a
photograph, by confirming the social security number or
individual taxpayer identification number of the applicant
with, as applicable—
“(i) the Internal Revenue Service;
“(ii) the Social Security Administration; or
“(iii) the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements
program of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
“(f) REAL ID Act of 2005.—Nothing in this section affects
any State requirement under title II of the REAL ID Act of
2005 (49 U.S.C. 30301 note; Public Law 109-13).”.
(b) Clerical Amendment.—The analysis for chapter 1 of
title 23, United States Code, is amended by inserting after
the item relating to section 154 the following:
“155. Preserving the integrity of State-issued driver's licenses,
commercial driver's licenses, and personal identification
cards.”.