Senate Hearing Turns Contentious Over Allegations of Spying

A routine Senate Commerce Committee hearing on transportation nominees took a tense turn when Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) clashed with Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio). During the session, Rosen accused Moreno of spying on her and her staff.

In response to questions from Ryan McCormack, who has been nominated by President Trump for transportation policy secretary, Moreno stated that he obtained the vehicle identification number (VIN) of Rosen’s car, a detail he noted could typically be seen through the windshield.

Moreno argued that the vehicle in question lacked certain driver-assistance technologies, suggesting that this fact undermined the Democrats’ push for such features in cars.

Rosen later challenged Moreno’s claim in another hearing, asserting that she doesn’t own a car in Washington, D.C. Instead, she mentioned that the vehicle used to drive her to work belongs to her staff.

Describing Moreno’s actions as an “overreach” and an invasion of privacy, Rosen demanded he disclose the VIN he claimed to have obtained and his intentions with it.

A few moments later, tensions flared again. Moreno insinuated that Rosen didn’t care about the safety of his staff’s vehicles, leading her to label his actions as “a little creepy.”

Rosen responded, “If you give me my VIN, I’ll let you know what I have in my car.”

Moreno remarked that he “obtained the VIN to expose it,” to which Rosen countered, calling it “hypocrisy.” The conversation then shifted to the ongoing government shutdown.

Moreno pointed out that while Rosen, like other lawmakers, continued to receive her paycheck during the shutdown, her staff, air traffic controllers, and other federal employees did not. Rosen rebutted by saying he was donating his salary and criticized the “Republicans who control the White House and Senate” for the funding issues.

“Perhaps if you visited the food bank instead of dining at Mar-a-Lago, you’d better understand the struggles of your constituents,” she stated, referencing a Halloween event hosted by the president in South Florida.

A spokesperson for Moreno commented that the senator’s remarks “speak for themselves,” while The Hill also reached out to Rosen’s office for further insights on the exchange.