Before passing the funding package that ultimately brought an end to the government shutdown, the GOP slipped in a very sneaky provision that benefits themselves at the expense of the taxpayer. Basically, it allows the senators who were illegally spied on by the Biden DOJ and Jack Smith during Operation Arctic Frost to sue the federal government for $500K (in taxpayer money) per violation. Full scoop on that here: GOP Slips Provision Allowing Senators to SUE the Federal Government For MILLIONS Into Shutdown-Ending Bill The provision was extremely controversial, and many House Republicans wanted the amendment removed before passing the funding package. Unfortunately, that didn't end up happening. But now, the House has just voted unanimously to repeal it. Check it out: ? BREAKING: The House just voted UNANIMOUSLY to repeal the law that lets GOP senators sue the government and get $500K EACH because they were spied on by the Biden administration and Jack Smith 426-0. The Senate would still need to pass this. pic.twitter.com/DG4XKM4glb — Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) November 20, 2025 GIVE AND TAKE: House Democrats and Republicans voted 426–0 to remove a provision in the government shutdown bill that allowed senators whose phone records were targeted by former Special Counsel Jack Smith to sue the federal government for up to $500,000. pic.twitter.com/ozYb9hUAJS — Fox News (@FoxNews) November 20, 2025 In principle, this is great. Why should senators get the privilege of suing the government for millions of dollars in taxpayer money over being spied on? That's not going to hold anyone accountable or solve anything. It's only going to line the pockets of the likes of Lindsey Graham! By the way, a few of the senators have come out and said that, despite the law allowing for it, they won't sue. But not Lindsey Graham. Nope. He's only doubled down. CBS News reported: Most of the eight senators said they do not plan to seek damages under the new law. And Thune said it isn't about the money, but the principle. "I don't think there's anybody that was targeted for whom the money matters," he said. Graham, however, indicated he plans to take action. "If you think I'm going to settle this thing for a million dollars — no," he said last week. "I want to make it so painful no one ever does this again." You hear that? He plans on milking the taxpayer for every cent he can get! This idea of compensation is ridiculous. Instead, Jack Smith and the rest of those responsible for carrying out the illegal surveillance should be prosecuted. But, unfortunately, this measure would also have to pass in the Senate in order to be repealed. Fat chance of that happening. ABC News has more: The House on Wednesday unanimously passed a measure to repeal controversial language in the government funding bill that allows senators to sue the government if their phones are investigated without their knowledge. Senate Majority Leader John Thune earlier Wednesday continued to be noncommittal about what the Senate will do after the House acts. The provision was inserted at Thune's request, ABC News learned, into the massive government funding bill that passed Congress and was signed into law last week at Thune's request. The majority leader, who has control over what legislation is voted on in the Senate, did not commit to taking any sort of action in the Senate if the House's effort to remove the language is successful and offered a defense of the provision. "You have an independent, coequal branch of the government whose members were, through illegal means, having their phone records acquired, spied on if you will, through a weaponized Biden Justice Department. That to me demands some accountability," Thune said. "And so, I think everybody is focusing on the private right of action, and whatever the number, you know the number that they agreed on. I think the important thing in all of this is, where's the accountability, and what is the consequence of bad behavior." The legislation that was approved as part of the funding bill gives senators the ability to sue the government retroactively for $500,000 per device accessed as part of an investigation. Eight Republican senators had their phone records subpoenaed by special counsel Jack Smith as part of his investigation into Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election and would be eligible to sue under the law.