How Trump-era reforms are redrawing U.S. policy at home
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Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyoming) has introduced legislation to make basic English proficiency a legal requirement for commercial truck drivers, codifying an executive order issued by President Donald Trump earlier this year.
The bill would make it a federal standard that truck drivers must be able to read, speak, and understand English when communicating with law enforcement, reading road signs, or completing official records. Drivers who fail to meet these standards could be placed out of service during inspections.
President Trump’s executive order, signed on April 28, 2025, reinstated enforcement of the English-language rule for commercial drivers after it had been relaxed under previous administrations. The order instructed the Department of Transportation and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to resume compliance checks and remove from service any drivers who do not meet language requirements.
Lummis said the legislation would make those standards permanent through congressional approval, ensuring consistency in federal transportation safety policy. The Department of Transportation has already begun implementing the executive order, with enforcement officially resuming in late June.
President Trump’s executive order, signed on April 28, 2025, reinstated enforcement of the English-language rule for commercial drivers after it had been relaxed under previous administrations. The order instructed the Department of Transportation and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to resume compliance checks and remove from service any drivers who do not meet language requirements.
Lummis said the legislation would make those standards permanent through congressional approval, ensuring consistency in federal transportation safety policy. The Department of Transportation has already begun implementing the executive order, with enforcement officially resuming in late June.
The bill was introduced as part of a broader wave of federal initiatives under the Trump administration, including new economic and digital asset policies. Earlier this year, Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies to establish uniform standards for cryptocurrency custody and taxation. The order aims to define digital assets as protected property under federal law and align their treatment with traditional financial holdings.
The proposal comes in the wake of heightened economic uncertainty following Trump’s recent announcement of 100 % tariffs on Chinese imports. The tariffs, introduced in response to Beijing’s restrictions on rare earth mineral exports, triggered a sharp sell-off in global markets. Bitcoin fell to around $105,000 on October 12, 2025, and over $19 billion in leveraged crypto positions were liquidated within 24 hours afterwards.
While the Trump’s tariff announcement sent shockwaves through financial markets, the administration continues to press ahead with domestic policy initiatives such as Lummis’s bill. President Donald Trump exerts broader effort to align federal labor, trade, crypto and infrastructure policy with his economic agenda, while his sons, Donald Trump Jr and Barron Trump, pick their own aims inside the crypto sector and domestic digital platforms policy enforcement.
The proposal comes in the wake of heightened economic uncertainty following Trump’s recent announcement of 100 % tariffs on Chinese imports. The tariffs, introduced in response to Beijing’s restrictions on rare earth mineral exports, triggered a sharp sell-off in global markets. Bitcoin fell to around $105,000 on October 12, 2025, and over $19 billion in leveraged crypto positions were liquidated within 24 hours afterwards.
While the Trump’s tariff announcement sent shockwaves through financial markets, the administration continues to press ahead with domestic policy initiatives such as Lummis’s bill. President Donald Trump exerts broader effort to align federal labor, trade, crypto and infrastructure policy with his economic agenda, while his sons, Donald Trump Jr and Barron Trump, pick their own aims inside the crypto sector and domestic digital platforms policy enforcement.
Author
Sebile Fane cut her teeth in blockchain by building tiny NFT experiments with friends in her living room, long before the buzzwords took hold. She’s driven by a curiosity for the human stories behind smart contracts — whether it’s a small-town artist minting her first token or a DAO voting on climate grants — and weaves technical insight with genuine empathy.
