Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy just dropped a $73 million bombshell on New York over a jaw-dropping commercial trucking license scandal.
The New York Post reported that a federal audit uncovered that over half of New York’s commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) were handed out to individuals who are in the U.S. without legal authorization, prompting Duffy to threaten the withdrawal of critical highway funding unless the state cleans up its act within 30 days.
The drama unfolded on Friday when Duffy called out New York for what he sees as a dangerous lapse in oversight at the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).
A federal probe by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) scrutinized 200 non-domiciled CDLs issued by New York and found 107 were improperly granted.
With roughly 32,000 such licenses active nationwide, Duffy warned that these drivers aren’t just cruising New York highways—they’re hauling cargo across the entire country.
Adding fuel to the fire, a separate investigation was launched on Thursday into whether a Chinese national tied to a deadly Tennessee highway crash held an improperly issued New York license.
Duffy didn’t mince words, accusing New York of issuing eight-year CDLs to applicants with temporary work permits as short as 30 days, a practice he claims flouts federal law.
“But we also found that New York many times won’t even verify whether they have a work authorization, they have a visa, or they’re in the country legally,” Duffy stated, raising serious questions about the state’s vetting process.
If that’s not enough to make you grip the wheel tighter, consider this: one migrant applicant reportedly got a license without even providing a first name back in September.
Duffy has given Governor Kathy Hochul and state officials a tight 30-day deadline to revoke all improperly issued CDLs, halt new permits, and conduct a full audit—or kiss that $73 million in federal funds goodbye.
He acknowledged that pulling the funding could disrupt the flow of goods but emphasized that public safety trumps all. Isn’t it time we prioritize American families over bureaucratic blunders?
FMCSA Administrator Derek Barrs echoed this urgency, calling New York’s practices a “systematically, grossly unacceptable deviation” from long-standing federal safety rules.
Predictably, New York DMV spokesperson Walter McClure fired back, insisting the state follows federal guidelines and verifies every applicant’s legal status with proper documentation.
McClure dismissed Duffy’s claims as a distraction from federal shortcomings, promising a formal response to the Department of Transportation’s letter. But can slick words erase the audit’s damning numbers?
Meanwhile, Duffy isn’t letting California off easy, criticizing the state for issuing 25% of its CDLs unlawfully and failing to enforce English proficiency rules—a head-scratcher when safe driving demands clear communication on our roads.
