(Molly Bruns, Headline USA) An amendment to remove a federal “kill switch” mandate for all vehicles manufactured after 2026 failed in a vote late on Tuesday night.
The mandate, on page 430 of 1,039 of the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, required all vehicles produced after 2026 to implement “advanced drunk and impaired driving prevention technology,” according to The Federalist.
The technology would include sensors to detect impairment, “passively monitor the performance of a driver,” and “prevent or limit motor vehicle operation if impairment is detected.”
During debate last night on my amendment to defund the 2026 kill-switch mandate for cars, some Democrats claimed the technology wouldn’t monitor or disable cars. Here’s the actual law I had to read to them:
My amendment failed. Link to the roll call vote: https://t.co/YWufj9C2C3 pic.twitter.com/JDN1TltaDo
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) November 8, 2023
Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., introduced an amendment to the 2021 law in an attempt to destroy the mandate. But his amendment was voted down 229 to 201.
Two-hundred ten Democrats and 19 Republicans rejected the amendment, laying the groundwork for more intense government interference in citizen’s day-to-day lives.
“The federal government has mandated that all vehicles sold after 2026 must have a kill switch that can disable your vehicle based on your driving performance,” Massie said after his amendment was defeated.
Several mainstream media outlets attempted to minimize the invasive nature of the mandate.
USA TODAY claimed the bill did not require the implementation of the switch or give third parties power to stop the cars. “Rather, the bill in question directs a federal agency to require technology that would detect driver impairment and disable the vehicle in that scenario,” the publication claimed.
The publication further claimed “automobile experts” provided them with this information, but neglected to identify them or explain their expertise.
The Associated Press published a similar fact check article shortly after lawmakers started pointing out the egregious overstep, claiming that commentators “distort[ed]” the law’s meaning.
The author also accused the law’s critics of hyperbole because “none of the options being considered would include the risky move of lurching a fast-moving vehicle to an abrupt stop.”
Critics of the mandate, including Massie, voiced concern over limiting people’s freedom of movement via excessive limitations and fees put on all types of vehicles.
The Biden administration, as well as many left-leaning governors, are particularly guilty of this, taking measures to ban gas-powered vehicles, granting subsidies to automotive manufacturers to boost electric vehicle production—despite the fact that no one wants to buy them—and bullying consumers into buying expensive, unreliable EVs, allegedly in the name of “climate security.”
