WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last week, U.S. Senators Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) and Bernie Moreno (R-OH) rolled out the Connected Vehicle Security Act of 2026, legislation designed to defend the American auto industry against the increasing threat of Chinese-manufactured vehicles.
By cutting off Chinese vehicles, software, and critical hardware at every stage, from the factory floor to the dealership parking lot, the bill ensures that American drivers’ personal data cannot be harvested on U.S. roads and funneled back to the Chinese government.
The Connected Vehicle Security Act of 2026 has drawn broad support from across the American auto industry and national security community – with statements of support from labor, the car companies, and auto industry trade groups.
Watch Slotkin and Moreno talk about their bill on Bloomberg Balance of Power
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT THE CONNECTED VEHICLE SECURITY ACT OF 2026:
NBC: Senators introduce bipartisan bill banning Chinese vehicles and auto parts
- Sens. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, and Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., introduced the Connected Vehicle Security Act, which would ban automobiles, parts and vehicle software made in China or in partnership with China, as well as other adversarial nations, from the U.S. market.
Detroit News: Slotkin, Moreno buck Trump with bipartisan Chinese car ban proposal
- Democratic U.S. Sen. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan and Republican U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno of Ohio introduced a bill Wednesday to solidify barriers to China building its U.S. automotive presence.
WJR: Sen. Slotkin Co-Introduces Ban on Chinese Vehicles in U.S.
- Sens. Bernie Moreno (R-OH) and Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) introduced a bill that would also implement these bans to other nations hostile to the U.S. This comes weeks before President Donald Trump will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping in person.
UAW President Shawn Fain: “Our national and economic security relies on a strong US auto industry. The American Dream was launched and sustained out of good union auto jobs here in the United States. If we want to rebuild US manufacturing and raise standards for the working class, we can’t keep offshoring and outsourcing our auto industry, driving a global race to the bottom for short term corporate profits. Our US auto industry must invest in cutting-edge technology and build affordable, high-quality vehicles for the American consumer, built by UAW autoworkers. We can’t keep selling out the US working class to transnational corporations that have no respect for labor rights. By building on and strengthening the existing connected vehicles rule, this legislation puts common sense guardrails on a major threat to our nation’s auto industry.”
General Motors: “GM commends Senators Moreno (R-OH) and Slotkin (D-MI) on the introduction of the Connected Vehicle Security Act of 2026. General Motors supports policies that protect and strengthen American manufacturing and the global competitiveness of U.S. automakers, and we remain committed to long-term investments in our domestic workforce, facilities, and technology. As we have said many times, we can compete with anyone in the world when we are given a level playing field. We look forward to continuing to work with both offices through the legislative process.”
Ford Motor Company: “We commend Senators Moreno and Slotkin on their bipartisan work to protect the U.S. industrial base. We look forward to working with Congress as the bill moves through the legislative process.”
Stellanis: “The Connected Vehicle Security Act addresses important issues related to connected vehicle security and fair competition in the U.S. market. We look forward to working with Senators Moreno and Slotkin on the details as their legislation moves forward.”
MichAuto: “Senators Slotkin and Moreno deserve credit for tackling this complicated issue in a bipartisan fashion that reflects the urgency of the situation. Taking action to protect our domestic automotive industry from vehicles made by Chinese companies is especially critical for Michigan as well as all those Americans whose livelihoods, companies, and communities depend on it.”
Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien: “Make no mistake – China is aggressively trying to enter the American market so it can undercut American workers, eliminate good union jobs, and weaken our manufacturing base. We cannot allow any technology that could be used for surveillance or data collection by a foreign adversary onto our roads or into our workplaces. Our elected officials can’t sit by while this threat grows. We commend Senators Moreno and Slotkin for taking decisive action before it is too late. We urge lawmakers in both parties to pass the Connected Vehicle Security Act.”
John Bozzella, President and CEO, Alliance for Automotive Innovation: “China has a strategy to dominate global automotive and battery manufacturing that presents a challenge to American economic and national security,” “We need to make sure we’re all playing by the same rules, but Chinese automakers are flooding markets around the world with cut-rate vehicles. Sens. Moreno and Slotkin don’t want that to happen here. They’re right. The legislation they introduced today sends a clear message: The U.S. will not throw open the doors to Chinese automakers to manufacture or sell here. The details matter, and we’ll continue working with lawmakers to get this policy right, so all our member companies continue to succeed and thrive inside the U.S.”
Kevin Dempsey, American Iron and Steel Institute president and CEO: “AISI applauds Senators Moreno and Slotkin for their leadership on introducing the Connected Vehicle Security Act of 2026. The American steel industry’s success is inextricably linked to the health of U.S. automotive manufacturing. When U.S. automakers compete on a fair and secure basis, American steelmakers thrive alongside them. Chinese state-subsidized vehicles, produced outside the bounds of fair trade and with serious national security implications, threaten to undermine the entire domestic supply chain —from research and development facilities to steel mills to the assembly lines. This bipartisan legislation takes an important step toward ensuring that the future of American mobility is built with American steel.”
American Honda Motor Co., Inc.: “As the largest auto manufacturer in Ohio, Honda commends Senators Bernie Moreno and Elissa Slotkin on introducing the Connected Vehicle Security Act, which seeks to provide a fair and competitive marketplace for U.S. automakers. As global competition in the automotive sector intensifies, the bill importantly recognizes how American economic and national security are increasingly connected. Honda looks forward to working with the sponsors as the legislation evolves.”
Michael Robbins, President & CEO of AUVSI: “As vehicles become more connected, autonomous, and software-defined, the United States cannot allow systems linked to foreign adversaries to become embedded across our transportation infrastructure and industrial base. CCP-linked connected vehicle technologies create clear risks around sensitive data, persistent access, and remote disruption.”
Rachel McCleery, Executive Director of SAFE’s Coalition for Reimagined Mobility: “SAFE strongly supports the Connected Vehicle Security Act which expands current law to combat the growing threat posed by Chinese automakers and suppliers, and the risks they pose to America’s economic and national security. After gaining market access to Mexico and Canada, our geopolitical adversary is even closer to deploying vehicles on U.S. roads – vehicles that collect and transmit sensitive geolocation, infrastructure, and behavioral data at scale. This new legislation is a crucial step towards building secure and resilient supply chains, protecting our industrial base, and blocking real-time espionage and surveillance by foreign adversaries.”
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