Senator Jacky Rosen Accuses Republican Colleague of Stalking Staff
During a Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee hearing, Senator Jacky Rosen accused Republican Senator Bernie Moreno (R-OH) of stalking her staff. The confrontation arose after Moreno admitted to collecting vehicle identification numbers (VINs) of his Democratic colleagues' cars.
Context of the Dispute
The incident occurred amid hearings on several nominees put forward by President Donald Trump. Moreno claimed he gathered the VINs to expose hypocrisy among his Democratic colleagues.
“Would it surprise you that I got the VIN numbers of every one of my Democrat colleagues’ vehicles and found that none of them bought any of the additional safety technologies on their cars?” Moreno said.
He argued that although senators criticize mandating safety features, they themselves choose not to purchase them when buying cars privately.
Broader Debate
The exchange sparked a wider discussion about privacy concerns and the responsibility of each party for the ongoing government shutdown, which had reached 36 days, setting a record for its length in American history.
Moreno, a former car dealership owner, emphasized the costly nature of additional automobile safety technologies, questioning the consistency of opposing mandated safety features while not personalizing their use.
Reactions in the Hearing
Two senators responded without directly addressing Moreno’s remarks, keeping the focus on the nominees being considered.
“So when you are actually shopping for a car with your own money, you don’t buy the technology, but we’re sitting here saying this should be mandated for everybody else’s cars.”
This incident highlights tensions within the Senate over privacy, government responsibility, and policy consistency.
Author's summary: Senator Jacky Rosen accused Senator Bernie Moreno of stalking her staff after he admitted to tracking Democrats’ car details, sparking heated debate on privacy and political hypocrisy.