"The Biden-era sanctuary state policies in California foisted on the state and Americans by Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom have once again collided with federal law " this time on America's highways."

The statement exaggerates the novelty and political attribution of the crisis; the CDL compliance failures are long-standing and multifaceted federal-state regulatory issues, with enforcement actions occurring during Newsom's governorship but rooted in deeper systemic causes.

Systemic issues related to the improper issuance of commercial driver's licenses (CDLs) in California predate Governor Newsom's tenure and have been an ongoing challenge for years. Federal investigations and prosecutions have previously uncovered cases of DMV employees accepting bribes, identity fraud, and widespread failures to verify lawful presence or work authorization for CDL holders in the state. There have been several incidents and audits revealing California's troubles with licensing, including improper verification protocols, record-keeping failures, and compliance gaps that resulted in thousands of ineligible individuals receiving CDLs.[1][4][6]

Similar problems with license issuance have resulted in criminal prosecutions, regulatory crackdowns, and calls for reform and oversight well before the current scandal or Newsom's administration. These ongoing challenges highlight that California's CDL licensing controversies are part of a broader and persistent problem, not simply a recent development.[4][6][1]