House to overturn Senate's $500k perk for seized phone records
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US House Speaker Mike Johnson at the US Capitol on Nov. 12. Photo: Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images
The House will move to repeal a provision in the government funding package that allows senators to sue the government for up to $500,000 if their electronic records are obtained without their knowledge.
Why it matters: Senate GOP leadership was able to tuck the provision into the funding package they passed this week, but House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) indicated Wednesday that the House will act to reverse it.
- "House Republicans are introducing standalone legislation to repeal this provision that was included by the Senate in the government funding bill. We are putting this legislation on the fast track suspension calendar in the House for next week." Johnson wrote on X.
Catch up quick: The provision was granted after a group of eight lawmakers learned that their phone records were seized by former Special Counsel Jack Smith as part of his probe into the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
- Johnson told reporters Wednesday he had not learned about the provision until Tuesday night, after the Senate passed it.
- "I trust John Thune," Johnson said, referring to his Senate counterpart. "He's a great leader, but some members got together and hoisted that upon, put it into the bill at the last minute."
- He added: "And I wish they hadn't, and I think it was a really bad look,"
What they're saying: During a House Rules Committee hearing Tuesday night, Rep. Austin Scott (R-Ga.) said that the provision should be removed.
- Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas.) also raised concerns, saying "there's going to be a lot of people, if they look and understand this, are going to see it as self-serving, self-dealing kind of stuff."
- House Democrats wanted to strip the provision, but Republicans were not supportive. Changing the bill would have required Senate approval and prolonged the record-long government shutdown.
The intrigue: Notably, the Senate's provision limits those who can sue to only senators. One House member, Rep. Mike Kelly (R-Pa.), also had his records seized.
- He would not be able to sue under the current proposal.
The bottom line: The Senate would still have to take up the House's standalone bill, and it's not clear if Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.), who fought to get the provision added, will agree.
