ATA Hails Senate Confirmation of Keith Sonderling to Lead DOL
Last Wednesday, the U.S. Senate voted 47-41 to confirm Keith Sonderling to serve as the next Secretary of Labor. The American Trucking Associations applauded the Senate's action and welcomed Sonderling to his new role. ATA strongly backed Sonderling’s nomination due to his extensive experience with issues vital to the trucking industry as well as his advocacy for commonsense protections for independent contractors.
“The 8.4 million hardworking men and women employed in the trucking industry rightfully expect steady, thoughtful leadership from DOL,” said ATA Chief Advocacy & Public Affairs Officer Henry Hanscom. “Equipping today’s and tomorrow’s truckers with the tools they need to succeed, and protecting their ability to launch and grow their own businesses if they choose, is essential. Maintaining a regulatory environment that functions well for both workers and employers is also critical.”
“Meeting these challenges requires a Secretary of Labor with deep workforce expertise, strong policy judgment, and proven agency-management experience,” Hanscom continued. “Mr. Sonderling has demonstrated that he possesses all three of these traits. We congratulate him on this well-deserved promotion, and we look forward to working with him as he assumes this new leadership role.”
Sonderling has met with ATA’s Women In Motion Council on multiple occasions, most recently in June 2026. In those meetings, WIM members raised their concerns that the previous administration’s independent contractor rule would jeopardize the livelihoods of 350,000 independent truckers—including many women—who choose this employment model. Sonderling played a pivotal role in proposing a new rule that would reinstitute protections for independent contractors, restoring clarity and order to the law in this area.
Senate Negotiators Produce Bipartisan Permitting Reform Proposal
Last Thursday, a bipartisan group of Senators introduced the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act of 2026. This bill would reform federal policies with targeted changes to promote permitting for transmission, generation, geothermal, hydropower, mining, and offshore energy. The proposal will also help highway projects by exempting them from National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review if they are proposed in existing rights-of-way.
Negotiations on the bill were led by Senate EPW Chairman Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), EPW Ranking Member Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Senate Energy & Natural Resources Chairman Mike Lee (R-UT), and Energy & Natural Resources Ranking Member Martin Heinrich (D-NM). The long-awaited proposal has a short timeline for consideration, though the negotiators are keen on debating the proposal during the Lame Duck session of Congress.
Trucking Bills Introduced in House
Last week, two measures were introduced in the House during its pro forma sessions which would have impacts on trucking.
Rep. Brandon Gill (R-TX) introduced Barron’s Law (H.R. 10620), which seeks to strengthen commercial truck safety by ensuring that illegal aliens cannot obtain trucking licenses. The legislation would require verification of lawful status and work authorization, English-language proficiency testing, and impose penalties on carriers that knowingly use ineligible drivers.
Rep. Harriet Hageman (R-WY) introduced H.R. 10673, a bill requiring external placards to be placed on containers and vehicles transporting lithium-ion batteries. This is an important issue for motor carriers that move hazardous materials safely, and the language largely mirrors an amendment led by Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV) that was added to the Build America 250 Act during House T&I Committee debate in May.
ATA will work with these offices, and with champions of the trucking industry, to advance legislative proposals that improve highway safety.
NDAA, FY27 Appropriations Primed for Lame Duck Consideration
When Congress returns after the November midterm elections, the top legislative priorities for the remainder of the year will be passage of the annual National Defense Authorization Act and fully funding federal agencies through September 30th, 2027.
The NDAA is likely to include the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act, which is a strongly bipartisan proposal that will dedicate critical resources to help the Department of Homeland Security coordinate a national response to cargo theft with state and local law enforcement. Meanwhile, the FY2027 spending bills that provide funding and guidance to agencies for the full fiscal year include key programmatic spending that is important to trucking, such as money for truck parking, and requirements that federal agencies finalize guidance for the use of hair testing as a means of detecting drug use in CMV operators.
ATA will work closely with champions across Congress to ensure that the top priorities for the trucking industry are included in any must-pass legislation before the end of the year.
Election Update
All eyes are on election day, which is only 28 days away. In the battle for the majority in the Senate and House, this week we bring you the currently ranked toss up seats and states by Inside Elections’ Nathan Gonzales:
Senate:
- Toss Up - Alaska, Maine, New Hampshire, Ohio
- Lean Democrat - Michigan
- Lean Republican – Iowa and Texas
House (incumbent listed):
- Democrats: Reps. Castor (FL), Wasserman Schultz (FL), Moskowitz (FL), Kaptur (OH), Vicente Gonzalez (TX), Perez (WA)
- Republicans: Reps. Schweikert (AZ), Ciscomani (AZ), Valadao (CA), Evans (CO), Lawler (NY), Max Miller (OH), Mackenzie (PA), Bresnahan (PA), Scott Perry (PA), Kiggans (VA), Van Orden (WI)
Grassroots Update
This morning, ATA Chairman Greg Hodgen and the Groendyke Transport, Inc. team hosted Congressman – soon to be Senator - Kevin Hern (R-OK) for a terminal visit to discuss the hardships that lawsuit abuse is imposing on trucking companies. During a policy roundtable discussion which included other local motor carriers, participants thanked Rep. Hern for sponsoring the Tackling Predatory Litigation Funding Act, which would tax the profits that outside investors make from funding civil lawsuits.
This afternoon in Marshville, North Carolina, Edwards Wood Products Transportation and the North Carolina Trucking Association (NCTA) hosted Rep. Mark Harris (R-NC), a member of the House Judiciary Committee, for a similar visit. The group held a lively discussion with the Congressman about the need to combat lawsuit abuse and addressed questions he raised in July during a roundtable featuring ATA on third-party litigation financing.
Tomorrow, the Ohio Trucking Association and numerous trucking companies will participate in a trucking roundtable with Trucking Caucus Chairman Dave Taylor (R-OH) at Kenworth’s facility in the district. The attendees will discuss the need for action on lawsuit abuse as well as key trucking provisions Rep. Taylor has sponsored in the highway bill.
Next week on Thursday, October 15th, Rep. Virginia Foxx will participate in a small motor carrier policy roundtable with Beck Trucking and NCTA. Rep. Foxx serves as the Chairwoman for the House Rules Committee, so the group will advocate for numerous must-pass bipartisan trucking positions that will move through her Committee during the lame duck session after the election.
ATA’s Call on Washington program will return the week of November 16th with numerous state associations in town for the final Call on Washington of the 119th Congress.
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 and Senate are adjourned until after the November midterm Congressional elections. The next Hill Report will be sent after the Lame Duck session of Congress begins later that month.