Democrat Senator Accuses GOP Colleague of Spying on Her Car
Senator Jacky Rosen (D-Nevada) has accused Senator Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) of "creepily" spying on congressional cars to support his argument about driving safety legislation.
Rosen criticized Moreno on Twitter, saying:
“Instead of @berniemoreno creepily following us to the cars we use to get to work in the Capitol and writing down their VIN numbers, I’d suggest he use his time in more productive ways.”
The accusation followed a contentious Senate Commerce Committee hearing where Moreno admitted he had collected vehicle identification numbers (VINs) from Democratic senators’ cars. He claimed this was to expose what he described as Democratic hypocrisy regarding mandated safety technology in federal employees' vehicles.
During the hearing, Moreno stated that the Democratic senators’ cars lacked optional driver-assistance features they have advocated making mandatory.
Rosen responded directly during the hearing:
“I object to you stalking my car and my staff to find the VIN numbers to present to this committee.”
Moreno replied by pointing out that VINs are generally visible through the front windshield, saying, “It’s visible from the outside of the car.”
Summary
This episode highlights a tense clash over automotive safety legislation, with personal accusations underlining the political dispute.