Fifty-seven Republicans voted with the vast majority of Democrats on Thursday to keep a Biden-era mandate enabling government remote control of vehicles, drawing backlash from conservatives like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
The group voted to defeat an amendment proposed by Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., that would have rolled back government requirements for the development of a "kill switch" to disable the cars of impaired drivers.
That amendment failed by a 164-268 vote.
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If successful, the amendment would have been folded into a much larger bill to fund the departments of War, Housing and Urban Development, Transportation and Health and Human Services. That larger package went on to pass the chamber in a bipartisan 341-88 vote on Thursday.
DeSantis, who has championed small-government policies in the Sunshine State, blasted the amendment vote in a post to X on Friday morning.
"The idea that the federal government would require auto manufacturers to equip cars with a 'kill switch' that can be controlled by the government is something you'd expect in Orwell's 1984," DeSantis said, referring to the fictional novel by George Orwell warning readers against totalitarianism.
DeSantis' frustration echoed that of other lawmakers who were left concerned.
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"Unbelievably disturbing," Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas, said in his own post. "57 House Republicans just joined almost all the Democrats to ensure the government can shut off your car whenever it wants."
Massie included his amendment to counter language under current law that requires the development of the kill switch technology.
A provision included in the Biden-era Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act directed the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to develop new standards for car manufacturers to restrict impaired driving.
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It would "passively monitor the performance of a driver of a motor vehicle … and prevent or limit motor vehicle operation if impairment is detected," according to the law's text.
Although Biden's Infrastructure Act required the development of that rule in November 2024, NHTSA has not yet issued such a requirement. In a report to Congress, NHTSA explained that it was working "diligently" to develop a reliable kill switch.
"NHTSA is continuing to review technology for the ability and potential to detect driver impairment. The agency is working closely with industry partners as technology continues to be developed to passively and accurately detect impairment," the agency wrote.
NHTSA said difficulties remain in parsing out drunk driving from drowsy or distracted behavior.
Massie believes that's only a matter of time.
"The looming Orwellian automobile kill switch deadline threatens civil liberties. When your car shuts down because it doesn't approve of your driving, how will you appeal your roadside conviction?" Massie asked in a post to X as he explained his amendment.
The White House did not respond to a request for comment on the vote or on whether Republicans should consider some stand-alone piece of legislation to repeal the kill-switch requirement.
