{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://mast.house.gov/press-releases?ID=A7956722-DC86-4413-8558-D662AC104DE3", "Mast Introduces Freedom Haulers Act", "2026-08-13", "2026", "2026-08", "Republican", "House", "FL", "Brian J. Mast", "M001199", "mast.house.gov", "mast", "https://mast.house.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Representative Brian Mast (FL-21) today introduced legislation to codify the Freedom Haulers initiative, permanently securing the fast-track pathway for America\u2019s Veterans to earn commercial driver\u2019s licenses (CDLs) and take the wheel of America\u2019s trucking industry.\n\n\"Veterans have already proven they have the discipline, the training, and the grit to handle the world\u2019s most demanding jobs in the world\u2019s most dangerous places. Hauling America's freight should be next,\" said Congressman Brian Mast. \"President Trump opened the fast lane for veterans to get behind the wheel and my bill make sure it stays that way.\"\n\nLast month at the White House by President Trump, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, VA Secretary Doug Collins, and Acting Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling, unveiled the Freedom Haulers initiative as a way to connect veterans with good-paying trucking careers. Under President Trump, trucker earnings have surged 7.42 percent and traffic fatalities are at a historic low.\n\nToday, the initiative exists as a directive from the administration. Mast's bill writes the guidance into federal law:\n\nDoubling the Military Skills Test Waiver window from 12 months to 24 months after service, letting veterans with heavy vehicle military experience transfer their skills without taking redundant road tests. More than 40,000 veterans have already used this waiver.\n\nMaking the Even Exchange Program permanent, allowing qualified veterans to bypass CDL knowledge exams and receive licenses faster. Thirty-four states, including Florida, participate.\n\nThe bill builds on Rep. Mast's work to secure America's roadways after an illegal foreign trucker killed three Americans on Florida's Turnpike just minutes from his home in 2025. The bill carries out his mission to replace dangerous, unqualified drivers off the road with the veterans who earned our trust in the driver's seat.", 1, "2026-08-14T06:13:05Z", "2026-08-14T06:14:08Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://mast.house.gov/press-releases?ID=A7956722-DC86-4413-8558-D662AC104DE3"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.3367300853133202, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}