Johnson Says Hidden Clause Undermined Transparency in Funding Agreement

Alittle-noticed provision in the Senate’s latest government funding bill has triggered renewed Republican scrutiny over surveillance practices connected to Biden-era Jan. 6 investigations. What began as a routine effort to prevent a government shutdown quickly escalated into controversy after House Republicans flagged language that appeared to grant legal protections exclusively to senators.

The provision allows any senator targeted in former special counsel Jack Smith’s “Arctic Frost” probe to sue the federal government if they were surveilled without notification. Under the measure, qualifying senators could receive up to $500,000 in damages, a detail that immediately caught the attention of GOP lawmakers in the House.

House Republicans said they were blindsided by the addition, claiming it was inserted late in the process with little explanation. Several argued that the bill created an uneven standard by offering recourse to senators while providing no comparable protections for House members.

Speaker Mike Johnson responded by recalling the House from recess to address the issue. He criticized the provision as an “imbalance” that raised serious concerns about fairness, particularly given the ongoing political sensitivity surrounding Jan. 6-related investigations

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