House conservatives are outraged after 57 Republicans joined all but four Democrats to defeat an amendment that would have blocked funding for a Biden-era government mandate to develop a kill-switch technology for passenger vehicles.
Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., sponsored the amendment, which was part of a consolidated appropriations bill that easily cleared the House on Thursday.
It would have rolled back a provision included in the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that instructs the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to develop advanced impaired-driving technology, sometimes described as a "kill switch," for passenger vehicles.
The amendment was defeated 268-164.
"Unfortunately, the amendment I offered to defund the federally mandated automobile kill switch did not pass," Massie wrote Thursday night on X, with a link to the roll call vote to "see how your representative voted."
Other reactions by conservatives raised concerns about government overreach often likened to the writings of George Orwell.
"Kill switches give government the ability to shut off your car at their discretion," Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., wrote Thursday night on X. "They are Orwellian, wrong, and must be stopped.
"That's why last night, I voted to defund this travesty. Instead of helping us pass the amendment, 57 Republicans joined 211 Democrats to block us."
Donalds later shared a post showing a screenshot of the roll call vote, stating, "See how your member of Congress voted here."
"Makes cars more expensive & puts the government in your car," Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, wrote Friday on X. "Insane to vote against ending the kill-switch mandate." Roy and Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., also helped to draft the amendment.
Republicans who could face challenging reelection bids, including Reps. Derrick Van Orden of Wisconsin, Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Iowa and Jen Kiggans of Virginia, rejected the measure. Each of their races is considered a toss-up, according to the Cook Political Report.
Other Republicans also voting no were Appropriations Committee Chair Tom Cole of Oklahoma, Homeland Security Committee Chair Andrew Garbarino of New York and Financial Services Committee Chair French Hill of Arkansas.
"Unbelievably disturbing," Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas, wrote Thursday on X. "57 House Republicans just joined almost all the Democrats to ensure the government can shut off your car whenever it wants."
Democrats who voted for the amendment were Reps. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington, Marcy Kaptur of Ohio, Lou Correa of California and Val Hoyle of Oregon.
The Cook Political Report has rated Perez's and Kaptur's seats as toss-ups for November's election.
Conservatives are growing increasingly frustrated over repeated failures to pass legislation favored by the party's base.
Eighty-one Republicans joined all Democrats on Wednesday to reject a GOP-led effort to eliminate $315 billion in funding for the State Department's democracy promotion programs, including the National Endowment for Democracy, which conservatives have accused of bias.
A GOP-led effort to slash funding for two federal judges accused of anti-Trump bias also failed after a group of Republicans dissented.
"We're gutless and we're compromised and we're not doing what we said we were going to do," Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., said in a video posted Thursday night on X. "We're not following what President Trump asked us to do, and you all should be mad because I'm mad. ... I'm disgusted.
"You ought to be disgusted. This thing is out of control."
Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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