A little-noticed provision in the Senate’s latest government funding bill has triggered sharp criticism from House Republicans, who say they were blindsided by language granting special legal protections to certain senators targeted in former special counsel Jack Smith’s “Arctic Frost” investigation. The measure would allow eight GOP senators to sue the federal government for alleged surveillance without notice, with potential payouts of up to $500,000 each. Speaker Mike Johnson, who recalled the House from recess to address the issue, denounced the addition as a last-minute move that created an unacceptable disparity between the chambers.
The provision quickly sparked backlash across social media and within the GOP. House Republicans, including Reps. John Rose, Anna Paulina Luna, and Greg Steube, condemned the measure as secretive, self-serving, and unfair—particularly given that no similar remedy was offered to House members or to individuals facing Jan. 6-related charges. Critics argued that senators should not be able to insert financial protections for themselves into a must-pass bill, especially during an imminent government shutdown.
Despite the internal turmoil, House Republicans ultimately advanced the stopgap bill to avoid a shutdown. The episode has intensified existing tensions inside the GOP and renewed concerns over surveillance practices, especially following reports that investigators also obtained phone records from former Speaker Kevin McCarthy and former Rep. Louie Gohmert.