In a stunning display of party division, 57 House Republicans joined Democrats to defeat an amendment aimed at blocking a controversial Biden-era vehicle mandate on Thursday evening.
On Thursday, the House voted 164-268 to reject an amendment sponsored by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), along with Reps. Scott Perry (R-PA) and Chip Roy (R-TX), which sought to prohibit funding for enforcing a vehicle “kill-switch” provision.
This measure, tied to the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), passed with bipartisan support, requires impaired driving technology in passenger cars sold after 2026. The amendment’s failure came as part of a larger $1.2 trillion spending package that cleared the House overwhelmingly on the same day.
The vote saw nearly all Democrats, save for four—Reps. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), Lou Correa (D-CA), and Val Hoyle (D-OR)—join 57 Republicans, including key committee chairs like Appropriations Chairman Tom Cole (R-OK), to tank the proposal. Notable Republicans facing tough reelection bids, such as Reps. Derrick Van Orden (R-WI), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA), and Jen Kiggans (R-VA) also voted against it. Two Republicans, Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-TX) and Rep. Tom McClintock (R-CA), did not cast votes.
Privacy-focused lawmakers like Massie have long fought to roll back this IIJA provision, which calls for technology to monitor driver performance and detect impairment, the Daily Caller reported.
“The looming Orwellian automobile kill switch deadline threatens civil liberties,” Massie warned on X a day before the vote. That’s a chilling thought—your car deciding you’re unfit to drive with no clear way to challenge it.
This kind of tech, not yet developed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), already feels like a step too far.
Critics like Clyde Wayne Crews, a regulatory studies fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, echo this unease with sharp clarity. “The vehicle ‘kill-switch’ is precisely the kind of overreach that will empower regulatory agencies to manage behavior without votes by elected representatives in Congress or real accountability,” Crews stated. If that doesn’t raise red flags about government creep, what will?
The vote’s outcome has only deepened frustration among the party’s base, who see repeated failures to push through legislation aligning with core values. Rep. Keith Self (R-TX) called the result “utterly disturbing” on X after the vote. That sentiment captures the growing exasperation with a party that seems unable to unite on key issues.
This isn’t the first time GOP defections have stymied conservative priorities in recent weeks. Just on Jan. 14, a group of Republicans sided with Democrats to block amendments targeting an agency accused of bias against conservatives. Similarly, a push to cut funding for federal judges perceived as anti-Trump also collapsed due to internal dissent.
Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) didn’t hold back in a video posted Thursday evening, lamenting the party’s direction. His blunt assessment—that many in the GOP are failing to deliver on promises—stings because it rings true for so many disillusioned voters.
Even outside Congress, the backlash has been swift and pointed, with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis weighing in on X to condemn the mandate as dystopian.
His description of it as something straight out of a nightmarish novel hits hard, especially for those wary of government overreach. It’s a reminder of how deeply this issue resonates beyond Washington.
Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), who resigned from Congress in January after a rift with former President Trump, also chimed in with biting sarcasm. Her jab at the irony of party endorsements while Massie faces criticism reveals the messy undercurrents of GOP loyalty. It’s a messy family feud playing out in public.
The split vote also raises questions about the party’s ability to rally around shared principles when it matters most. Senior and moderate Republicans, alongside those in tight races, helped sink the amendment, leaving privacy advocates like Massie out in the cold. It’s a bitter pill for those who see personal liberty as non-negotiable.
