Elizabeth Carter did not come to Washington as a Republican. She came as a lifelong Democrat whose son and brand-new daughter-in-law died on an Oregon highway, and she told the House Judiciary Committee exactly who she blames.
Carter testified on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, at a hearing titled “The Continuing Tragedy of Sanctuary Laws.” Video of her testimony spread across social media on Wednesday and Thursday after Libs of TikTok posted the clip.
Story Snapshot
- William “Billy” Carter and his bride Jennifer Lower were killed in late November 2025 on U.S. Highway 20 in Deschutes County, Oregon, when their Subaru struck a jackknifed tractor-trailer blocking the road.
- The driver, Rajinder Kumar, is an illegal immigrant who held a commercial driver’s license issued by California. He has pleaded not guilty.
- The couple were driving home from their wedding reception. They had been married 16 days.
- “I am ashamed of what my party is doing,” Carter told the committee.
“Sixteen Days After They Were Married”
“Sixteen days after they were married, Billy, Jenny and her cat Bert were killed,” Carter said. Her written statement is part of the committee’s official record.
She told lawmakers that a system of sanctuary policies and permissive state licensing put a man who should not have been in the country behind the wheel of a commercial rig on a dark highway. “We allowed 10 million people in under Biden,” she said. Then, of her own party: “I am ashamed of what my party is doing.”
The Crash
Oregon State Police said Kumar’s tractor-trailer was jackknifed across the roadway in the dark with no emergency warning equipment deployed when the couple’s car hit it. Prosecutors charged him; he pleaded not guilty. Reports identified him as an Indian national living in the United States illegally who nonetheless held a California commercial driver’s license.
California’s licensing of illegal immigrants for commercial driving has become a flashpoint in Congress since a string of fatal truck crashes involving drivers who could not legally be in the country. Carter’s testimony put a face on the policy fight.
What She Asked For
Carter asked Congress to stop sanctuary jurisdictions from shielding illegal immigrants from federal enforcement and to tighten verification for commercial licenses. The full police crash reconstruction and California’s licensing file for Kumar have not been made public. Her statement, and the clip of her delivering it, are now the most-watched thing to come out of the hearing.
Sources:
townhall.com, nypost.com, docs.house.gov, judiciary.house.gov, christianpost.com
