Concerns over Chinese-made vehicles and their connection to U.S. roads have been building for months. Automakers and franchise dealers have largely aligned against allowing Chinese-linked vehicles, software, and hardware into the U.S. market, and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have pointed to national security risks tied to connected vehicle technology. That opposition took a step forward this month. The Senate Commerce Committee advanced the Connected Vehicle Security Act of 2026 on a unanimous, bipartisan vote, sending the bill toward a vote before the full Senate. The legislation, introduced by Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) and Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) would permanently block the import, sale, and operation of vehicles, software, and hardware tied to China and other foreign adversaries. Mike Stanton, President and CEO of the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA), joined Inside Automotive on CBT News to discuss the bill’s advancement and what it means for the franchise dealer community going forward. The fight over Chinese vehicles isn’t over The bill’s advancement out of committee doesn’t mean the fight is over, Stanton said. It still needs a vote before the full Senate, followed by three House committees. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, raised concerns during the committee session about Mercedes-Benz’s ownership structure, which exceeds the bill’s 15% foreign ownership threshold. Those kinds of details still need to be worked out before the bill reaches a final vote. “It did pass unanimously, but there is still a lot of work to be done.” NADA has spent more than three years engaging on the issue, according to Stanton, including trips to China and conversations with dealers who represent Chinese brands in other markets. The association has found alignment across its board, state and metro dealer associations, and its OEM partners on the need to keep Chinese-linked vehicles out of the U.S.