{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://noem.house.gov/index.cfm/in-the-news?ContentRecord_id=BB312F31-1B29-4FBE-90F5-A8038415D9F6", "Truckers Gather in Tea To Protest New Federal Mandate", "2017-12-04", "2017", "2017-12", "Republican", "House", "SD", "Kristi Noem", "N000184", "noem.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "KDLT \r\n\tTruckers protested the federal government mandating all truckers use electronic logging devices across the country Monday.\r\n\u201dThe government is mandating that I need to have what we are considering an ankle bracelet,\u201d said Kevin Steichen, a trucker.\r\nTruckers currently log the hours they work by hand on paper, but many lawmakers say it\u2019s time for ELDs. These devices will monitor and record hours digitally.\r\n\u201dThey think we\u2019re outlaws and that\u2019s the furthest thing from the truth,\u201d said Steichen. \u201cI am far from an outlaw.\u201d\r\nTruckers can legally work 14 hours per day. Currently, they can break that up that time however they want to, but with ELD\u2019s, they worry they\u2019ll be racing against the clock once it starts.\r\n\u201cIf we were to be out of hours an hour or two hours away from our destination with live animals, we need to take an 10 hour break,\u201d said Minnesota trucker Kelly Leuthold.\r\nMany lawmakers across the country support the mandate, including those picked by the Tump administration.\r\nThe American Trucking Associations say that\u00a0federal data shows an ELD reduced the truck crash rate by 11.7% and reduced hours-of-service violations by 50% when compared to users of paper logs.\r\n\u201cLike I usually drive 62 to 65 out on the road and that\u2019s because of the fuel cost and everything like that and it\u2019s a lot safer anyway,\u201d said Brookings trucker Tom Kuechenmeister. \u201cWhen I got that ELD, I\u2019m sitting there watching that clock count down on the dash and the first month I found myself running closer to 70 to 75.\u201d\r\nThose against this new mandate have proposed a bill that would delay the mandate for another two years, and it\u2019s backed strongly by South Dakota Congresswoman Kristi Noem.\u00a0 Fewer nap breaks and quicker speeds are creating safety concerns for these small business folks.\r\n\u201cMy kids and my wife mean so much to me,\u201d said Steichen.\u00a0 \u201cIf I can be safe and make it home, that\u2019s gonna be the big thing.\u201d\r\nFor now, opponents say time is running out to keep the mandate from hitting the books, and the road.\u00a0 They have until December 18 to overturn the mandate.\r\n\u201dThey\u2019re not out there for me,\u201d said Steichen. \u201cNobody\u2019s fighting for me. They don\u2019t want to hear my voice.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "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": ["http://noem.house.gov/index.cfm/in-the-news?ContentRecord_id=BB312F31-1B29-4FBE-90F5-A8038415D9F6"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.7103939317166805, "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"}