Sen. Bernie Moreno admitted to collecting the VINs on cars belonging to Democrats to find out if they purchased any of the additional safety features.

A Nevada Democrat accused her Ohio GOP colleague of privacy violations after he admitted to tracking down Senate Democrats' vehicle identification numbers.

The argument between Sens. Brian Moreno, R-Ohio, and Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., broke out during a Nov. 5 hearing of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. As he questioned a Department of Transportation nominee, Moreno said people hang onto older vehicles without current safety features because they can't afford a new car.

He also argued that safety mandates supported by Democrats drive up the price of cars. Under former President Joe Biden, for example, federal officials pushed to standardize automatic emergency breaking.

"Would it surprise you that I got the VIN numbers of every one of my Democrat colleagues' vehicles and found that none of them bought any of the additional safety technologies on their cars?" Moreno said during the hearing.

Moreno's comments prompted blowback from Rosen, who said he invaded the privacy of senators and their staff. Moreno, in turn, suggested Rosen doesn't care about her aides' safety because she uses a staff car to get around Washington, D.C.

Rosen said she objects to Moreno "stalking my car and my staff," adding: "It seems a little creepy."

Moreno countered that VIN numbers are visible from outside the car and said he located them "to expose the hypocrisy."

The fight then escalated into a debate about the government shutdown, which is now the longest in U.S history.

State government reporter Haley BeMiller can be reached at hbemiller@gannett.com or @haleybemiller on X.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Republican senator blasted for 'creepy' behavior after collecting Democrats' car IDs

Reporting by Haley BeMiller, USA TODAY NETWORK / The Columbus Dispatch

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