Transport Secretary Criticizes California’s Response to Federal Order

Transport Secretary Sean Duffy has expressed frustration with the Gavin Newsom administration in California for not adhering to President Donald Trump’s executive order. This order mandates that truck drivers must be able to read and speak English, as well as access federal funding.

During a Cabinet meeting at the White House on Tuesday, Duffy pointed out that California, along with New Mexico and Washington, has refused to follow the directive, which was first reported by Breitbart News in April. He mentioned that these states have a 30-day window to comply with the requirements or risk losing federal funds. However, he indicated that this was merely the beginning of a larger issue.

When questioned if he had communicated with officials from any of the three states about the 30-day deadline set during a recent trip to New York, Duffy noted that New Mexico seems inclined to comply, while California is still uncooperative.

“As for Washington, California, and New Mexico, I’m sensing that New Mexico hopes to be compliant. But, quite frankly, Gavin Newsom’s stance appears to create a significant problem,” he stated. Duffy highlighted concerns about “illegal or unsafe drivers” on the road, saying this poses safety risks to Californians and those with California driver’s licenses.

He elaborated, saying they are just starting “phase one” of addressing the situation and that there are multiple other phases and challenges ahead. Duffy expressed his preference for a collaborative approach, emphasizing that infrastructure projects generally receive bipartisan support. “Everyone wants better roads and bridges and faster rail systems,” he said, lamenting that these discussions have turned contentious.

Duffy also stressed that truck drivers who can’t read English road signs are a considerable danger to public safety. He remarked, “When drivers lack language skills, it becomes a risk for everyone traveling.” He raised concerns about the validity of licenses obtained by individuals who may not fully grasp the written exams or even the practical skills tests.

He concluded by stating that they need to investigate the processes surrounding commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) further, as there are serious doubts about how some individuals manage to secure these licenses without adequate language understanding.