{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.husted.senate.gov/media/press-releases/husted-moreno-lead-effort-to-stop-illegal-immigrants-from-obtaining-drivers-licenses/", "Husted, Moreno lead effort to stop illegal immigrants from obtaining driver\u2019s licenses", "2026-09-16", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "Senate", "OH", "Jon Husted", "H001104", "www.husted.senate.gov", "husted", "https://www.husted.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "scraper", "\u201cCongress has a responsibility to protect its citizens: these twenty governments are putting American lives at risk by issuing \u2018drive-only\u2019 licenses and should not be rewarded with federal taxpayer dollars.\u201d\n\nWASHINGTON \u2013 Sens. Jon Husted (R-Ohio) and Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) today introduced the Red Light Act. This bill would help prohibit illegal immigrants from obtaining a driver\u2019s license by withholding federal transportation funding from states that have enacted laws to provide driver\u2019s licenses or identification cards to individuals who cannot provide proof of lawful presence in the United States.\n\n\u201cAmerica continues to see the tragic results of the Biden administration\u2019s open border and sanctuary policies. Just last month, an Ohioan was killed in a car accident because of a failed Connecticut state policy that gave a driver\u2019s license to an immigrant who entered our country illegally. Eighteen other states and the District of Columbia also allow undocumented immigrants to obtain driver\u2019s licenses. This is wrong and must be changed,\u201d said Husted.\n\n\u201cOhio does not issue these licenses\u2014and other states should follow our lead. Congress has a responsibility to protect its citizens: these twenty governments are putting American lives at risk by issuing \u2018drive-only\u2019 licenses and should not be rewarded with federal taxpayer dollars. The Red Light Act would hold these states accountable and save Americans\u2019 lives on the road,\u201d Husted concluded.\n\n\u201cHow many more Ohio families have to bury their loved ones who were murdered by illegal immigrants who never should have been behind the wheel, before Democrats finally admit enough is enough? This epidemic has gone on too long. We refuse to let another \u2018drive-only\u2019 license be handed out to people who have no business being in our communities in the first place. Not one more,\u201d said Moreno.\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\n\nThe Red Light Act would direct the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to withhold a state\u2019s share of certain federal highway funds if the state has enacted a law allowing undocumented immigrants to obtain driver\u2019s licenses or other identification cards. The bill applies to funding from the National Highway Performance Program, Highway Safety Improvement Program and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program.\n\nWithheld funds would instead be distributed to states that do not issue driver\u2019s licenses or identification cards to immigrants not lawfully present in the United States.\n\nRep. Claudia Tenney (R-N.Y.) introduced the companion bill to the Red Light Act in the House of Representatives.\n\nAs the only Republican Senator with experience serving as Secretary of State, Husted is leading the charge on this issue.\n\nBackground:\n\nOn Aug. 29, 2026, an Ohioan was killed in a car crash in Fulton County. The other driver, Washington G. Naula Ochoa, was an illegal immigrant who had obtained a \u201cdrive-only\u201d license in Connecticut. Ochoa has been charged with aggravated vehicular homicide.\n\nBetween Aug. 29, 2026, and Sept. 6, 2026, three Ohioans were killed in car crashes caused by immigrants who entered the country illegally.\n\nA \u201cdrive-only\u201d license is a type of driver\u2019s license issued by some states to individuals who cannot demonstrate lawful immigration status or provide a Social Security number.\n\nOhio does not issue \u201cdrive-only\u201d licenses to illegal immigrants. The Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles requires applicants to provide proof of U.S. citizenship or lawful presence in the United States.\n\nOn Sept. 3, 2026, Husted wrote to DOT Secretary Sean Duffy and U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin urging the departments to prohibit states from issuing \u201cdrive-only\u201d driver\u2019s licenses to individuals who cannot demonstrate lawful immigration status.\n\nOn Sept. 9, 2026, Husted wrote to 19 U.S. governors and the mayor of Washington, D.C. in strong opposition to policies in their states that allow illegal immigrants to obtain \u201cdrive-only\u201d driver\u2019s licenses and urging them to end such policies.", 1, "2026-09-17T09:52:05Z", "2026-09-17T09:53:00Z"]], "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://www.husted.senate.gov/media/press-releases/husted-moreno-lead-effort-to-stop-illegal-immigrants-from-obtaining-drivers-licenses/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9416830725967884, "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"}