Back when the Democrats controlled the House of Representatives, they passed a massive bill with a hidden provision to mandate a "kill switch" in all new vehicles. Proponents argue that it will help prevent drunk driving accidents. But Rep. Thomas Massie believes the full truth is more sinister: "They have mandated that there be technology in every new vehicle sold after 2026 that evaluates your driving performance, gives you a scorecard while you're driving, and if you fail, it will disable the vehicle and put you on the side of the road." Rep. Massie breaks down how this technology gives A.I. power over your right to travel and his efforts to defund its rollout. Plus, he explains why he voted against bills that would send Israel money and sanction Iran: "I was worried that it would give President Biden the authority ... to attack Iran."
Transcript
Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors
GLENN: Well, normally, I wouldn't have somebody on, who is anti-Semitic.
Who just wants all Jews and Israelis to die.
Nor would I have somebody on, who is for drunk driving. And just wants drunk drivers just to kill a bunch of people.
But certainly, I would never have a guest on, who was both of those things. But I'm going to make the exception with Thomas Massie. Who is getting unbelievable heat for what I think is doing the right thing. Hello, Thomas, how are you?
THOMAS: I'm doing well, Glenn. And thanks for accurately portraying all of my positions.
(laughter)
GLENN: Well, you know, I'm just taking it from the press. Let's start with your rampant anti-Semitism.
THOMAS: Well, I voted not -- and I know we disagree on this. But I voted to not send $14.3 billion to Israel. And I voted not to try to sanctions Iran, as a result of everything that's gone on. And most recently, I guess the mortal sin here is I voted not to censure Rashida Tlaib, citing my concerns about the First Amendment and a member of Congress' ability to say what they want, regardless of how hateful and detestable I might think it would be.
GLENN: Okay.
Now, I know your stance on sending other country's money.
You're being consistent with all countries, not just Israel.
Help me out with the Iran thing.
THOMAS: Yeah. So one of the resolutions we passed, that was to support Israel.
By the way, I agreed with much of the resolution. I do support Israel.
I support their right to defend themselves. And I defend the atrocities and attacks that Hamas conducted.
GLENN: Yes.
THOMAS: But the first thing we did in supporting Israel, was this resolution, which if it just said we supported Israel, it would have been great. But I think it tends to expand the conflict, when we should be trying to keep the conflict, geographically managed. And I was worried it would give President Biden the authority to Congress to attack Iran. So I voted against it, for that reason.
GLENN: Okay. Now, let's go to your love of drunk drivers.
THOMAS: Favorite past time of mine as well.
GLENN: Yeah. Yeah.
THOMAS: So there is buried in this 1,039 page law, that passed when the Democrats were in the majority, a provision, that -- and I'm going to read this directly. Because the Democrats say, it's not in there. So I had to read them the law to them.
They obviously didn't read it before they passed it, a couple years ago.
But there's a provision for kill switches in all new vehicles in 2026.
And I will read that very quickly. It says it will passively monitor the performance of the driver of a motor vehicle, to accurately identify whether that driver may be impaired. And prevent or limit motor vehicle operation, if an impairment is detected.
In other words, they have mandated, that there be technology in every new technology sold after 2026, that evaluates your driving performance. Gives you a scorecard, while you're driving.
And if you fail, it will disable the vehicle, and put you on the side of the road.
There's so many problems with this. Even -- if you could imagine, it would technically work. But it's not going to technically work.
There will be a thousand false positives, than there are catching of actual drunk drivers with this technology.
Let's say, you're a mom. And you have kids in the car. And you've pulled over twice on to the shoulder to let emergency cars go by, and then you swerve once for a deer.
And now you make your final, you know, correction and boom, the car says. Okay.
We are the judge and the jury. We have adjudicated your driving. We believe you're impaired. You have 100 yards to get to the side of the road.
How do you appeal your conviction on the side of the road, when it's your car that's convicted you?
GLENN: Well, this doesn't seem that you are for drunk drivers. I was excited to hear that take from you.
But I will tell you, that I was at On-star years ago. And this is before Barack Obama. I was doing commercials for General Motors. And I took a tour of their On-star facility.
And it was in the morning. And you could see on their just gigantic electronic board, all of the cars that had On-star, and were activating it. And were having trouble. Or where they were. And I talked to the head of on-star. And he said, yeah. We can pretty much disable your car.
And I said, you have -- have you ever done that?
And he said, well, with really bad Amber Alerts, if we really know. Blah, blah.
And I said, that doesn't sound like a good thing.
I mean, I celebrate it for the catching of the bad guy. But what are your rules?
He said, we would never. We would never. Really?
I don't like the fact that someone can disable my car.
For any reason. I don't want the government or the car company or anybody else to disable my car. I don't like the fact that they can track my car. But that's the way it is.
I don't want any more of this control of my life, in my car.
VOICE: On men, brother.
And what this purports to do. This law would be to allow an artificial intelligence, to decide, whether you have the right to travel or not.
And that's why I offered an amendment yesterday, to defund this.
And one of the 12 bills that we're voting on, I offered an amendment to defund this rule, this law.
And, you know, I've been here 11 years. I lower my expectations for my colleagues, every year. And it's still not low enough.
Because my amendment did not pass. There were 19 Republicans, who voted to keep the kill switch mandate in law.
GLENN: What part of everyday life and the out of control growing authoritarian state, do they not see?
What part of this, do they not understand, that, oh.
This looks like it could be abused. And the reason why I care about this one, is because everything else, this government has given control over, or been given control over, they have abused.
THOMAS: These 19 Republicans are to the authoritarian left of AOC. Because even AOC voted on my amendment. Because she was concerned about civil liberties on this.
So I don't know how you can be a Republican, and be for limited government. Be against government mandates. Be for allowing people to control their own lives.
Before private property. That you own. Not some corporation.
Not some government.
And before the Bill of Rights, the Ninth Amendment, the Tenth Amendment, and still want to have this kill switch mandate in these cars.
Now, their argument is, oh, we want to catch the drunk drivers.
The problem is, this technology. The way they've -- they've prescribed it. Will have far more false positives.
And it will crush your liberties.
If this goes into place. My only hope here, Glenn, is that this technology, they want. Is so ridiculous. That they will put off the mandate, once they realize, they can't do it.
That's my hope.
GLENN: I will tell you, I was -- I took a road trip with my son, from Chicago, to Dallas this last weekend.
And there was a point on the road trip. Where I was looking for something. I shouldn't be doing this.
I was driving. And I was trying to get something behind my seat.
And I swerved a couple of times.
There's no other cars on the side of the road.
I take my eyes off it. I swerve.
I pay more attention. And I do it again. I swerve again.
The car said to me, is it time for you to take a rest?
THOMAS: My truck says the same thing. It puts up the coffee icon. So if you swerve a third time. And even if you change lanes without using your blinker, if you do that enough times, it audibly puts a warning up, and a bright red signal that says pull over. Get some rest.
The problem is, what they will do in 2026, is connect that to your ignition and disable your vehicle.
Now, most say they -- who will come to the side of the road. Did the car lock itself and keep you there, until the police can come and evaluate, you know, your reasons?
This is -- this is very problematic. But the technology you're describing, Glenn. I believe has a camera that is using some image processing to look at the lines in the road.
GLENN: Yes.
THOMAS: Here's the question I have. Who has access to that camera -- and do they have to get a warrant to get that?
Does your insurance company start getting this strange -- you know, your driving score, straight to the insurance company? Do they have --
GLENN: Oh, yes, yes. Yes. Yes.
The other is, the technology that is being put in cars now, that scans your eyes.
It is supposedly being able to tell if you're too sleepy to drive, by looking at your eyes.
THOMAS: Correct. Another camera, that will be in your car. Who has access to that camera, and under what authority and do they need a warrant?
These are questions, that haven't been answered.
But another Congress man who serves on the transportation committee, his name is Scott Perry. Also chairman of the Freedom Caucus.
He and I sent a letter to secretary Buttigieg. They're trying to school me on how to pronounce that.
That asks them, these questions.
Because we don't know how they planned to implement this technology.
But we can't imagine a good way to implement this technology.
GLENN: No. You don't give this to a government, that is asking for a renewal of section 702.
And they violated everything in that. That is -- is that, you know, your sacred honor to uphold those things.
If that government can't not spy on its own people, we catch them, silencing people. And working with private organizations. And private companies.
To silence people.
You're going to give them more powerful -- more power with your car?
No. I don't -- I don't think so.
VOICE: And what is impaired? When you have COVID, are you impaired?
Will they disable you from traveling? Can you still get to a hospital?
Because they put ankle bracelets for people in Kentucky. Our governor did. When they refused to sign a certificate, saying they wouldn't leave their house.
GLENN: Just disable the cars. You're not leaving.
THOMAS: That's right.
GLENN: Thank you so much, Thomas. I'm sorry for the heat you are getting.
But, you know, it comes with the job, unfortunately. But, jeez, the Mothers Against Drunk Driving, good luck. Good luck.
THOMAS: Yeah. Well, thanks, Glenn.
GLENN: You bet. Representative Thomas Massie from the great state of Kentucky
