The Department of Transportation pulled millions of dollars from California over the state’s refusal to comply with English language standards for commercial drivers.
“I put states on notice this summer: enforce the Trump Administration’s English language requirements or the checks stop coming,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a statement. “California is the only state in the nation that refuses to ensure big rig drivers can read our road signs and communicate with law enforcement. This is a fundamental safety issue that impacts you and your family on America’s road.”
He added that the funding is “valuable money that should be going to the great men and women in California law enforcement, who we support. Gov. Newsom’s insistence on obstructing federal law has tied my hands.”
More than $40 million in federal highway safety funding is affected. The Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program (MCSAP) provides grants to states for “roadside inspections, traffic enforcement, safety audits of trucking companies, and public education campaigns,” USDOT explained.
Duffy previously issued a direct warning to California, Washington, and New Mexico over English-language guidelines for drivers. “States don’t get to pick and choose which federal safety rules to follow,” he said at the time. “As we saw with the horrific Florida crash that killed three, when states fail to enforce the law, they put the driving public in danger. Under President Trump’s leadership, we are taking aggressive action to close these safety gaps, hold states accountable, and make sure every commercial driver on the road is qualified to operate a 40-ton vehicle.”
