Provision in funding bill allows senators to sue over secretly obtained phone records

The spending bill approved as part of the package the Senate advanced Monday night to reopen the government includes a provision that would create a legal pathway for senators to sue the government if their phone records are investigated without their notice. What's significant is the language in the bill appears to be retroactive, meaning that the eight Republican senators who had their phone records subpoenaed by special counsel Jack Smith as part of his investigation into Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election could seek hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages. Senate Majority Leader John Thune was personally responsible for adding the text to the bill, sources told ABC News. According to the bill text, senators may seek up to $500,000 in statutory damages if their phone reco