DOT penalizes blue states for failing to ensure truckers speak English

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced Tuesday that the administration will take action against states that refuse to comply with the executive order requiring truck drivers to be proficient in English.

Duffy's announcement comes after Harjinder Singh, an illegal immigrant with a driver's license from Washington and California, caused a fatal accident in Florida in mid-August, killing three people after making a U-turn that was not allowed.

After the crash, Singh failed an English test, answering correctly only two of 12 verbal questions and accurately identifying only one of four traffic signs.

"We will not tolerate states failing to meet the standards emanating from this department," Duffy said. "We have identified several states that have not complied. They would be Washington, California and New Mexico."

"Those are the three states that have not complied with this rule, which, by the way, this driver in Florida had received a CDL in Washington, California and was stopped in July for speeding and, no doubt, could not speak the English language," Duffy said.

According to the transportation secretary, investigations indicate that Harjinder Singh passed through the three states mentioned above, which points to a failure to comply with regulations.

Also, Duffy assured that they will give 30 days for these states to come into compliance or they will review the federal funding they receive.

"And so phase one for us, which I'm announcing today, is that we're going to give these states 30 days to come into compliance for truck drivers who are proficient English speakers, or we're going to look at the federal funding they receive under the Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program."