President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order requiring truckers to be fluent in English.
The document, reviewed by Breitbart, says that President Trump “believes that English is a non-negotiable safety requirement for professional drivers, as they should be able to read and understand traffic signs, communicate with traffic safety officers, border patrol, agricultural checkpoints, and cargo weight-limit station personnel, and provide and receive feedback and directions in English.”
While there is a guideline directing truck drivers to understand English, the standard “has not been enforced,” the order notes.
According to the order, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy must “rescind and replace guidance to strengthen inspection procedures for compliance with English proficiency requirements.”
The order mirrors a previous Trump effort that made English the official language of the United States.
“A nationally designated language is at the core of a unified and cohesive society, and the United States is strengthened by a citizenry that can freely exchange ideas in one shared language,” Trump’s previous order stated. “In welcoming new Americans, a policy of encouraging the learning and adoption of our national language will make the United States a shared home and empower new citizens to achieve the American dream.”
Rep. Harriet Hageman (R-WY) undertook a similar effort earlier this month, urging the Department of Transportation to remove a regulation allowing non-English-speaking commercial truck drivers on U.S. roads. The inability for truck inspectors to pull non-English-speaking drivers from the roads is a “major safety issue for all drivers, which is precisely why these regulations were promulgated in the first place,” Hageman wrote, adding that the Obama-era memo places “millions of American motorists in jeopardy.”
