(WASHINGTON) – The following is a statement from Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien on the legislative hearing today in the House Energy and Commerce Committee concerning two bills that would regulate autonomous vehicles (AVs):

“Congress has an opportunity to put an end to the unregulated Wild West of AV testing and deployment. Unfortunately, the SELF DRIVE Act is a reckless approach to this issue, and only continues the disastrous trend of laws written by and for Big Tech. The Teamsters will use every resource at our disposal to stop AV legislation that does not prioritize workers and safety.

“In contrast, Representative Dingell’s proposal demonstrates meaningful leadership towards creating a federal safety framework that holds AV companies accountable for their products through binding, enforceable requirements. However, any Energy and Commerce Committee proposal is just one piece of a necessary and comprehensive response from Congress. A future AV package must also include efforts to create strong regulation on the operation of commercial motor vehicles and the impact of the deployment of AVs on workers.

“The Teamsters are committed to working with members of Congress on both sides of the aisle to get federal AV policy right, given the high stakes for our members. We look forward to continuing these conversations.”

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.2 million hardworking people in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. Visit Teamster.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter @Teamsters and “like” us on Facebook at Facebook.com/teamsters.

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