Legislation that would clear the way for more autonomous vehicles on American roads advanced in the House on Tuesday, as lawmakers seek to establish a federal framework for the technology.
The House Energy and Commerce Committee approved the Self-Drive Act in a narrow 12-11 vote, sending the bipartisan measure to the full chamber.
“Autonomous vehicles hold enormous potential, not just as a technological advancement, but as a tool to save lives by reducing human error, which is responsible for most crashes,” Rep. Gus Bilirakis stated.
The committee vote followed testimony last week from Waymo and Tesla executives who pressed Congress to act quickly on AV regulation or risk ceding ground to Chinese competitors.
The bill would create national safety standards for autonomous vehicles, override the current patchwork of state regulations, and permit automakers to build cars without steering wheels or other manual controls.
Rep. Gus Bilirakis, the Florida Republican who leads the committee’s manufacturing subcommittee, said the technology could reduce traffic fatalities by minimizing human error — the leading cause of crashes.
Waymo, Alphabet’s self-driving unit, and other industry players have lobbied for the legislation.
Mauricio Peña, the company’s chief safety officer, told a Senate panel last week that the US faces a “fragmented landscape of state regulations” that threatens to slow investment and innovation.
Tesla‘s vice president of vehicle engineering, Lars Moravy, emphasized the company’s commitment to cybersecurity, citing CEO Elon Musk’s decade long concern about malicious actors hijacking autonomous systems.
The company is less than two months away from starting production of its purpose-built autonomous vehicle, the Cybercab.
Tesla has recently expanded roadtesting of the robotaxi to five states.
Scrutiny of Waymo’s China Links
The Senate hearing grew contentious when Republican Senator Bernie Moreno of Ohio challenged Waymo over its use of Chinese-made vehicles.
Waymo operates robotaxis built by Zeekr, a brand owned by China’s Geely, in its US ride-hailing service.
The company renamed in January the vehicle “Ojai” ahead of a broader commercial rollout.
Moreno accused Waymo of undermining its own argument about competing with China.
“You said we’re locked in a race with China, but it seems like you’re getting in bed with China,” he said.
Peña responded that the imported vehicles arrive without connectivity or software, and that Waymo installs its autonomous system domestically without sharing data.
The senator was unconvinced, calling the arrangement “completely ridiculous” and questioning whether it benefits American workers.
Overseas Operations
Separately, Peña disclosed that Waymo uses remote vehicle assistance operators based in the Philippines, though he could not provide a breakdown of how many staff work outside the US.
Senator Ed Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat, criticized the practice, calling the idea of overseas remote operators “dangerous and unacceptable.”
It was not guaranteed by Waymo that the operators working remotely have a US driver’s license.
