Senate Democrats seek to "get to bottom" of Moreno's car data collection on senators

On Nov. 5, 2025, Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-OH) told a Senate Commerce Committee hearing that he had obtained the vehicle identification numbers, or VINs, of every Senate Democrat's car. He said he did it to check whether those senators had bought optional safety features — the same features Democrats were pushing to mandate in new vehicles. VINs are 17-character codes stamped on a car's windshield and dashboard that link to ownership, accident, insurance, and service records.

The revelation came while the committee was questioning RMRyan McCormack, Trump's nominee for Transportation undersecretary for policy. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is moving forward with a rule to require drunk-driving prevention technology in new cars by late 2026 or early 2027. That technology would add about $200 per vehicle to sticker prices — at a time when the average new car already costs around $50,000.

Sen. JRJacky Rosen (D-NV) confronted Moreno during the hearing. She accused him of stalking her staff's car in Capitol parking areas to write down the VIN.

Moreno replied that VIN numbers are visible from outside the car. Rosen said she doesn't drive a personal car in 🌲Washington — her staff does — and demanded to know whether Moreno had gone to her Las Vegas garage or tracked her staff at the Capitol.

Moreno did not disclose where he obtained the VINs, how many he collected, where the data is stored, or who else has access to it. He said he was 'just exposing hypocrisy.'

His spokesperson, Reagan McCarthy, said Moreno 'utilized information that is available to the general public.' Democrats said that answer did not explain whether the data was gathered at senators' private residences.

Senate Commerce Committee Democrats, led by Rosen and backed by ranking member Sen. MCMaria Cantwell (D-WA), said they are exploring ethics and privacy probes. Rosen asked unanimous consent for Moreno to answer four questions in writing: how he got the VINs, whose VINs he has, what he plans to do with them, and whether senators' privacy was violated. The Republican-controlled Ethics Committee is not expected to open an investigation.

A VIN is technically public information in most states. But it unlocks a significant amount of linked personal data, including registration addresses, prior owners, accident and theft history, and insurance records. Privacy advocates say this creates a meaningful surveillance loophole that current federal law does not close for members of Congress.

The confrontation erupted during a 43-day government shutdown, adding partisan heat. Moreno pivoted to blame Democrats for the shutdown and for collecting paychecks while federal workers went without.

Rosen said she was donating her paycheck and called the shutdown a 'Republican shutdown' since Republicans control the White House, the Senate, and the House. The exchange illustrated how the shutdown was fracturing Senate norms in real time.