Sean Duffy to Withhold Millions from California Over Commercial Licenses

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Newsweek

Oct 26, 2025 at 03:47 PM EDT


Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Sean Duffy said on Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo that he is “about to pull $160 million from California” and potentially the state’s ability to issue Commercial Driver’s License (CDL), a month after the DOT issued an emergency action on the matter. Newsweek has reached out to the California governor’s office for comment via email on Sunday.

Why It Matters

Duffy’s comments come after some high-profile fatal crashes have sparked public debate over requirements for CDLs. A Florida crash by 28-year-old Harjinder Singh, a truck driver from Stockton, California, killed three people. Singh, a native of India, was later arrested in California and extradited to Florida on vehicular homicide charges, with federal authorities claiming he was in the country illegally when California issued his CDL. However, California officials say Singh obtained proper work permits in 2018 during President Donald Trump's previous administration.

Duffy has threatened to revoke $160 million in federal funding from California over alleged licensing violations. In late September, the DOT announced “emergency rules” that required all state DMVs to pause issuing licenses to non-citizens until they can comply with the "new federal standard." As of Sunday, the California DMV still has the update active on their website.

The Trump official's comments come as California Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, has repeatedly clashed with the White House, particularly over immigration raids and the federal deployment of thousands of National Guard troops. The governor, who is term limited, said on Sunday he would be “lying” if he didn’t say he is considering a White House run after the 2026 midterm elections.

Read more: https://www.newsweek.com/sean-duffy-to-withhold-millions-from-california-over-commercial-licenses-10941523

[Old Crank]

1. No surprise there, but Texas

Is the worst for drivers who fail the test. CA is not in the top 10.

[mwooldri]

2. Texas also has (or had) a English language loophole.

While Interstate trucking is covered by federal law, intrastate trucking is covered by state law. Texas didn't have anything in state law that said drivers have to have an understanding of English. Even some CDL test stuff was offered in Spanish (I believe the theory test was available in Spanish). So when the feds were saying they were going to enforce the English language requirement that has existed for decades in the federal regulations, the red states of course happily went on board with this ... Texas found out it had no rule to cover ita drivers who do not do Interstate trucking. This is of course being remediated (or has been done so).

[Igel]

3. The claim is the system is biased.

You don't administer the test roadside, there's no chance that the driver can fail. The claim is that Calif. has been systematically not administering, as policy, roadside tests.

Right or wrong, it challenges any claim about test failure rates.