What happened

When the House passed the spending bill to reopen the government on Wednesday night, many Republicans said they backed it despite being furious over a provision Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) had slipped in allowing senators to sue the government for at least $500,000, and likely $1 million or more, if their phone records were obtained without notification after 2022. Rep. Greg Steube (Fla.), one of the two Republicans who voted no, cited that measure as the reason.

The provision was added to address Senate GOP anger over special prosecutor Jack Smith’s 2023 subpoenas of several senators’ phone call logs, part of his investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack. But only one senator has announced “definitive plans to take advantage” of the payout clause

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