Senator Jacky Rosen Accuses Republican Colleague of Harassing Her Staff
During a Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee hearing, Senator Jacky Rosen accused Republican Senator Bernie Moreno of stalking her staff after he admitted to gathering vehicle identification numbers (VINs) from cars belonging to Democratic colleagues.
The tense exchange occurred while the committee reviewed several of President Donald Trump’s nominees. Moreno, a former car dealer, defended his actions by claiming he wanted to reveal what he saw as political hypocrisy.
“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 asked.
“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.”
Rosen criticized the senator’s conduct, calling it a violation of personal privacy. The confrontation soon shifted the focus toward broader arguments over accountability and the impact of the 36-day government shutdown — the longest in U.S. history — on lawmakers’ responsibilities.
Other senators present did not directly respond to Moreno’s statements during the hearing.
Author’s Summary
Rosen confronted Moreno for gathering Democrats’ vehicle data, sparking a heated privacy debate amid the record government shutdown.