CaliToday (17/10/2025): The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) announced on Wednesday that it is withholding over $40 million in federal highway safety funds from California, citing the state's failure to comply with federal guidelines mandating English proficiency for commercial drivers.
The move marks a significant escalation in a standoff between the Trump administration and the state of California over the enforcement of federal regulations.
"I warned states this summer: enforce the Trump Administration’s English language requirement or the funds will stop flowing," said Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy in a DOT press release. "California is the only state in the nation that refuses to ensure big rig drivers can read road signs and communicate with law enforcement."
He framed the issue as a matter of public safety, adding, "This is a basic safety issue that affects you and your family on America’s roads." Duffy placed the blame squarely on the state's leadership, stating that California Governor Gavin Newsom's "deliberate stonewalling of federal law has tied my hands."
In response, Newsom's spokesperson, Diana Crofts-Pelayo, fired back, stating the Transportation Secretary "needs a lesson in his own rules of the road." Crofts-Pelayo also noted that statistics show California's commercial truck drivers have a lower accident rate than the national average. The Hill has also reached out to the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) for comment.
Background of the Dispute
The conflict stems from an executive order signed by President Trump in April, which mandated that all commercial truck drivers must be proficient in English. This followed a separate order signed nearly two months prior designating English as the national language of the United States.
In May, Secretary Duffy signed an order aligning the policy of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) with the President's executive order, giving the directive federal regulatory weight.
The funds in question, totaling nearly $40.7 million, originate from the Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program (MCSAP). According to the DOT, this program provides grants to states for conducting roadside inspections, enforcing traffic laws, performing safety audits of trucking companies, and running public education campaigns. The FMCSA, which oversees the MCSAP grants, provided a total of $480 million through the program in the 2024 fiscal year.
Escalating Warnings and California's Defense
This action follows a threat Duffy made in August to withhold funding from California, Washington, and New Mexico if they did not submit a "corrective action plan" to comply with the federal law within 30 days.
"We're not just saying we have some vague regulation, this is about keeping people on the road safe — your families, your loved ones, your children," Duffy told reporters at the time.
At the end of the grace period on September 25, the California State Transportation Agency's legal counsel, Alicia Fowler, sent a letter to DOT Principal Counsel Jesse Ellison outlining the state's compliance efforts.
The letter, obtained by The Hill, argued that a commercial truck driver, under California law, must pass a test assessing "the ability to read and understand simple English used in highway traffic signs and directional signs." It also noted that the California Commercial Driver's Handbook requires all skills tests to be conducted in English.
"Therefore, in California, the licensing process confirms English proficiency prior to issuance in full compliance with federal requirements," the letter concluded.
The DOT's Final Rebuttal
The DOT rejected this argument. In a letter sent to Governor Newsom and Fowler on Wednesday, the department stated that California's position was "misplaced." The letter argued that the state's claim that its skills-testing policy meets the federal standard "ignores its obligation to ensure that all interstate drivers operating in California, regardless of where they are licensed, meet the English proficiency requirement."
The department concluded by stating that the DOT and FMCSA would restore the funding "as soon as California begins full enforcement of and compliance with these standards."
