from Your News:
Lawmakers vote down proposals targeting impaired-driving ‘kill switch’ technology requirements and select Labor-HHS earmarks, drawing criticism from some Republicans.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
The House of Representatives on Thursday rejected two separate amendments aimed at cutting funding for federal mandates and earmarks, votes that prompted criticism from some Republican lawmakers who argued the measures would have curtailed government overreach and controversial spending.
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One amendment, offered by Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, sought to block funding for the implementation of Section 24220 of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021. That provision directs federal regulators to require new passenger vehicles, beginning in 2026, to include advanced impaired-driving prevention ‘kill switch’ technology. The House voted 268–164 against the amendment, allowing funding for the mandate to continue, according to reporting by the International Business Times.
The law instructs automakers to equip vehicles with technology designed to detect driver impairment and intervene to prevent operation when impairment is detected. As described in the report, potential methods include monitoring steering behavior, in-cabin cameras, or air sensors that detect alcohol. Once impairment is identified, the vehicle may respond immediately, including preventing the engine from operating.
Rep. Harriet Hageman of Wyoming, who supported Massie’s amendment, previously described the requirement as “a massive and likely unconstitutional rule and an invasion of privacy on a greater scale than we are used to seeing from our government,” according to the same report.
Fifty-seven House Republicans voted against the amendment alongside most Democrats. Rep. Keith Self of Texas criticized the outcome in a social media post, calling the vote “unbelievably disturbing” and stating that the decision ensured the government could disable vehicles under the mandate, as reflected in his Jan. 22, 2026 statement.
Ahead of the vote, Massie questioned how motorists would be able to challenge enforcement actions triggered by the technology. “When your car shuts down because it doesn’t approve of your driving, how will you appeal your roadside conviction?” he wrote in a Jan. 21, 2026 post.
A second vote the same week addressed a separate amendment introduced by Rep. Ralph Norman of South Carolina targeting earmarks in the Labor, Health and Human Services appropriations bill. The amendment proposed eliminating all earmarks in that section of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, including funding for diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, certain medical procedures for minors, and other projects criticized by conservatives.
The House rejected Norman’s amendment by a vote of 291–136, with 76 Republicans joining Democrats in opposition, according to reporting by the Daily Caller. Rep. Self responded to that vote as well, writing that Republicans had joined Democrats to preserve earmarks he characterized as supporting abortions, gender-related medical procedures for children, and DEI initiatives, as stated in his Jan. 22, 2026 post.
The Daily Caller reported that nine additional Republicans did not vote on the amendment, including House Majority Leader Steve Scalise and House Majority Whip Tom Emmer.
Among the earmarks highlighted in the report were $2 million for pediatric mental health services at Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego, $3 million for a substance use disorder treatment clinic operated by Minnesota’s Hennepin Healthcare System, and $375,000 for arts education at Jacob’s Pillow in Massachusetts. Each of the recipient organizations has been cited by critics for associated programs or policies related to gender-affirming care or DEI initiatives.
