House Republicans are intensifying their efforts to overturn a contentious provision within the government funding package that permits senators to pursue legal action if their electronic records are accessed without their consent. Speaker Mike Johnson has strongly criticized the Senate GOP for including this measure, calling it an unwise decision. Johnson informed reporters on Wednesday night that he had a frank conversation with Senate Majority Leader John Thune about the issue, expressing his disagreement with the provision’s inclusion in the government funding package.
Thune, who personally negotiated the language for the legislative branch funding measure, reportedly expressed regret over how the provision was implemented. The provision, which includes a $500,000 payment for senators whose data was obtained by federal law enforcement without their knowledge, was a direct response to recent revelations that eight Republican senators had their phone records subpoenaed during former special counsel Jack Smith’s probe into President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Despite bipartisan concerns about the provision and its financial component, the House is prepared to vote on overturning it with broad bipartisan support, indicating a growing consensus across party lines.
Following the inclusion of the provision, House Republicans have found themselves caught off guard by the backlash it has generated and are now seeking to reverse it. Johnson announced on Wednesday afternoon that the House would take up the matter in a vote next week, signaling a strategic move to address the issue in a bipartisan fashion. Beyond the provision, House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan is advancing a separate agenda, including a bill to impose stricter rules on non-disclosure orders often sought by federal law enforcement during investigations. While Jordan criticized former special counsel Jack Smith’s actions for seeking a non-disclosure order when obtaining senators’ phone data around the time of the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack, he did not express opposition to the reversal of the related provision in the funding bill.
Jordan emphasized that the focus should be on crafting laws that apply universally to all Americans rather than creating special categories. This sentiment reflects a broader push within the House Republican leadership to address the legal and procedural concerns raised by the provision while aligning with growing bipartisan support to reverse it. As the House moves forward, the debate over the provision underscores the ongoing tensions within the U.S. Congress and the evolving landscape of legislative responses to issues of national significance.