A number of U.S. senators and members of the House of Representatives toured the Washington Auto Show this year. Some were interested in visiting the displays of automakers with a plant in their states; others were car shopping with family members.
Rep. Andy Barr (R), who represents the Kentucky district that has the largest Toyota plant in the world, visited the Toyota display. Rep. Trent Kelly (R) represents Mississippi’s first district, where Toyota makes the Corolla, so he also wanted to look at Toyotas. Rep. Mark Sanford (R) represents the first district of South Carolina, which is home to BMW and Volvo plants, so those
manufacturers were his interest at the Auto Show. Chairman of the House Automotive Caucus Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA), who is also an auto dealer, spent time in the displays of his makes, General Motors and Hyundai.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), who was at the Auto Show in the Convention Center for the Senate Energy Committee Field Hearing, toured the show and spent most of her time looking at trucks in the GM and Ford displays. She was also very interested in the electric vehicles that Chevrolet had. There are several remote communities in Alaska where theoretically it would be easier to have EVs than gasoline-powered vehicles because EVs are easier to maintain. Although a car like the Chevy Volt is not practical in deep snow, Sen. Murkowski wanted to see what technology is available.
Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM) came to the Auto Show to do some car shopping with their families – Heinrich with his son and Leahy with his grandson. Former Sen. Tom Daschle and Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD) – a longtime friend of WANADA and the Washington Auto Show – also toured the show.
Members of Congress and other Washington VIPs were given tours by senior Auto Show staff, according to their individual interests.
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