House Passes Amendment to Eliminate Senators' Phone Records Lawsuit Provision in Funding Package
The House has passed an amendment to a crucial funding package that would eliminate a provision allowing senators to sue for $500,000 if their phone records are accessed without their knowledge. This amendment was approved unanimously and is part of a larger set of funding bills that the House is expected to vote on soon to prevent a government shutdown. The provision, included by the Senate in a legislative package to end a previous government shutdown, requires service providers to inform senators if their phone records are seized or subpoenaed, with a $500,000 penalty for each violation. The House has been critical of this provision for some time and previously passed a bill to repeal it, but Senate GOP leaders have been reluctant to make changes.
During a previous attempt to repeal the provision, Senator Lindsey Graham objected, as he is one of the senators whose phone records were subpoenaed. Senate Majority Leader John Thune proposed an adjustment to the law that would forfeit any damages awarded under it to the United States Treasury, but this change has not been implemented. The House's surprise amendment vote effectively puts pressure on the Senate by including the repeal of the controversial provision in a spending package that the House is likely to pass and send to the Senate. With a looming deadline to avoid a government shutdown and the House scheduled to be on recess next week, the Senate will be compelled to approve the package or risk a shutdown.
Representative Virginia Foxx introduced the amendment, which was met with support from Representative Jim McGovern, who stated that it was long overdue. This move by the House puts the Senate in a challenging position and highlights the ongoing debate over the controversial provision. The House's action signals a significant development in the effort to address this issue and could lead to changes in how senators' phone records are handled in the future.