Overview
- During a Senate Commerce Committee hearing on transportation nominees, Sen. Bernie Moreno said he had gathered the vehicle identification numbers of Democratic colleagues’ cars.
- Moreno argued the VIN checks showed those vehicles lacked additional driver-assistance technologies, which he used to challenge proposals to mandate such features.
- Sen. Jacky Rosen objected, saying she has no car in Washington and that staff drive her in their own vehicle, and she demanded Moreno submit the VINs he obtained and explain his plans for them.
- The clash escalated into a dispute over the ongoing government shutdown, with Moreno noting members still receive pay and Rosen saying she is donating her paycheck while blaming Republicans.
- Moreno emphasized that VINs are visible from outside the car, and his spokesperson told The Hill the senator’s remarks “speak for themselves.”