Shaheen Visits Concord to Review Driver Training Program that Will Ease Supply Chain Issues

(Washington, DC) – Today, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) visited the Commercial Driving School in Concord and met with trucking industry leaders to discuss the importance of training qualified commercial truck drivers to address supply chain challenges. Following a push from Shaheen, New Hampshire received a 90-day waiver to adjust state laws to comply with new requirements of the Entry Level Driver Training (ELDT) program.

“Meeting with trucking industry leaders in Concord today was a firsthand look at their important work to address supply chain issues and keep our economy moving. A robust trucker workforce is key to avoiding any bottlenecks in the supply and delivery of goods, and it’s clear the Commercial Driving School is hard at work training the next generation of truckers,” said Shaheen. “I’ve fought to ensure bureaucratic rules don’t obstruct our local truckers’ ability to grow and remain competitive, and I’ll keep working to support this workforce that’s essential to our economic recovery.”

Shaheen led calls to the administration to issue a waiver from ELDT requirements to give the State legislature time to enact legislation to align State law with these rules. Shaheen sent a letter to Deputy Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Meera Joshi in December about concerns over the rule given supply chain disruptions and the need to support the trucking workforce. She has repeatedly pressed administration officials on this rule in phone calls leading into the approval of the 90-day waiver.

Later in the day, Shaheen visited the Lakes Region Community Developers (LRCD) in Laconia to discuss rental assistance delays, challenges facing low-income renters and the need to invest in affordable housing development. The Senator discussed her efforts to secure millions in rental assistance through comprehensive relief packages and ensure that assistance is delivered to New Hampshire communities – the State currently has nearly 5,000 applications pending approval for rental assistance.

“New Hampshire is in the middle of an affordable housing crisis, which has been severely worsened by the pandemic. I secured comprehensive rental and mortgage assistance through the COVID relief packages to help Granite Staters keep a roof over their heads – we need to make sure that money is getting to the families who are still struggling,” said Shaheen. “I’m grateful for the LRCD’s work on the frontlines to help Granite Staters stay housed and add much-needed affordable housing units, and I’ll continue to ensure federal resources are delivered to address housing insecurity.”

Shaheen has fought to protect New Hampshire homeowners and renters left vulnerable by the pandemic. The Shaheen-backed American Rescue Plan includes nearly $50 billion for states to provide relief for vulnerable homeowners. This week, Shaheen led a letter with the delegation to the Department of Treasury urging the swift release of remaining Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) funds provided by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), following notice from the State that it nearly ran out of ARPA ERA dollars to help families afford their rent. Reporting from the Department of Treasury shows that New Hampshire has nearly $148 million in unspent funds from the ERA program provided by the December COVID-19 relief bill that was signed into law as part of the FY2021 omnibus. The emergency COVID-19 relief legislation, supported by Shaheen and signed into law last year, also provided $25 billion in emergency rental assistance. 

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