Nevada's Rosen Accuses US Senator of Stalking Her Staff for Car Information
Jacky Rosen, Democratic Senator from Nevada, accused a Senate colleague of stalking her staff to gather car details during a Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee hearing on transportation nominees.
Senate Hearing Incident
During questioning of nominee Ryan McCormack about vehicle safety features, Republican Senator Bernie Moreno from Ohio revealed he had collected the Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) of his Democratic colleagues' cars.
"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?" — Bernie Moreno
McCormack responded, "I did not know that, Senator." Moreno then commented on the irony of lawmakers demanding mandated safety features while not personally purchasing them.
Rosen's Concern Over Privacy
Later in the hearing, Rosen sought unanimous consent to inquire how Moreno obtained the VINs, describing it as an invasion of senators' privacy.
"VIN numbers are displayed on the windshield of the car," Moreno explained.
VINs are typically located on the driver's side dashboard or on a sticker inside the driver's side door.
Rosen questioned whether Moreno had inspected her car in Las Vegas, to which Moreno asked if she used a car while in Washington D.C.
Rosen clarified, "That is my staff's car."
Author's Summary
This incident highlights tensions over privacy and accountability among senators, sparked by a controversial collection of vehicle information during a committee hearing.