Republicans accuse each other of violating civil liberties in new fight

Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives are reportedly at each other's throats following a contentious vote over a specific regulation for vehicles.

The conservative Daily Caller reported Friday that a provision to ban a mandatory "kill-switch" in cars in the U.S. recently failed to pass with a majority vote in the House, after 57 Republicans voted with Democrats to block the provision's passage. Libertarian-leaning Republicans, like Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) argued that the rule — which is meant to prevent impaired drivers from getting behind the wheel — intruded on Americans' personal freedoms.

"The looming Orwellian automobile kill switch deadline threatens civil liberties," Massie tweeted. "When your car shuts down because it doesn’t approve of your driving, how will you appeal your roadside conviction?"

Massie's characterization of the rule is misleading. While the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) requires vehicles to have "advanced drunk and impaired driving prevention" measures, that technology would prevent a car from starting if a driver is intoxicated, rather than stopping a car mid-travel because "it doesn't approve of your driving," as Massie asserted.

Still, the failed effort to repeal that part of the BIL set off multiple Republicans. While the Daily Caller reported multiple swing-district Republicans like Reps. Jen Kiggans (R-Va.), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa) and Derrick Van Orden (R-Wis.) voted with Democrats, others sounded off on the measure, and on their GOP colleagues.

"Unbelievably disturbing," tweeted Rep. Keith Self (R-Texas). "57 House Republicans just joined almost all the Democrats to ensure the government can shut off your car whenever it wants."

Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.), who is a member of the far-right House Freedom Caucus, was despondent on social media, writing on his official X account: "A lot to be ticked off about. We lied to you and enabled the Marxist left." Burchett posted a video saying Republicans are "gutless and we’re compromised and we’re not doing what we said we were going to do."

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