Pentagon gets blank check to ban foreign vehicles from all military property
S. 2259 — Protecting Military Bases from Connected Vehicles of Concern Act of 2025 · Filed by Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) · 1 cosponsor · Introduced Jul 10, 2025 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill requires the Department of Defense to create and maintain a list of connected vehicles (cars, trucks with internet/wireless connectivity) made by or controlled by foreign entities deemed a national security concern, and bans their operation on all military bases and DoD property starting January 1, 2028. The SecDef must publish the list by January 1, 2027, review it annually, and brief Congress on how the military will enforce the ban.
Why we flagged it
The bill's core function is to restrict operation of foreign-controlled connected vehicles on DoD property based on national security criteria. While framed as a security measure, it delegates significant discretionary authority to the SecDef to define threats and compile a blacklist with minimal legislative guardrails.
What the text implies
- The bill's definition of 'foreign entity of concern' is cross-referenced to a 2021 NDAA provision but not restated here, making it difficult for the public to know in advance which vehicles will be banned.
- The SecDef has unilateral authority to add/remove vehicles from the list with only an annual review requirement and vague criteria ('undue risk', 'unacceptable risk') — no congressional approval needed for additions.
The full analysis lists 5 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
domestic vehicle manufacturers; U.S.-based connected vehicle suppliers; defense contractors with vehicle supply contracts