Senators CAUGHT Pocketing Taxpayer Millions—House Erupts

Man in a suit with a red tie and money peeking from his pocket

Senators caught trying to pocket up to $500,000 in taxpayer dollars for phone records seized in the Jan. 6 witch hunt now face a bipartisan House steamroller forcing repeal—exposing D.C. cronyism at its worst.

Story Snapshot

House unanimously votes 427-0 to repeal Senate provision allowing suits up to $500k over seized phone records from Jack Smith’s Jan. 6 probe.
Bipartisan outrage labels it “self-dealing,” attaching repeal to must-pass funding bill to jam resistant Senate before shutdown deadline.
Eight GOP senators, including Ron Johnson and Lindsey Graham, targeted by 2022 seizures tied to false electors schemes.
Taxpayers spared potential multimillion payouts; sets precedent against sneaky riders in spending packages.

House Unanimously Strikes Back Against Senate Self-Enrichment

The U.S. House of Representatives voted 427-0 on Thursday to amend a federal spending package, repealing a Senate-inserted provision. This clause permitted senators to sue the government for up to $500,000 if their phone records were seized without notice. The move attaches the repeal to a must-pass funding bill due by January 30, 2026, aiming to avert a government shutdown. House leaders leverage this procedural tactic to force Senate action, overriding prior resistance. Bipartisan unity in the House highlights rare agreement on curbing congressional overreach.

House votes to repeal law allowing senators to sue for $500k, jamming Senate https://t.co/lrxqqhh3DE

— john williams (@JohnHotsforu) January 22, 2026

Senate Slips in Retroactive Perk Tied to Jan. 6 Probe

Senate Republicans added the provision in November 2025 to a short-term funding bill ending a government shutdown. It mandates notification for senators’ phone records and enables retroactive suits for violations, targeting 2022 seizures by special counsel Jack Smith. Records from eight GOP senators, including Ron Johnson of Wisconsin and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, were obtained during the probe into Trump’s 2020 election interference and false electors efforts in states like Wisconsin and Michigan. Critics decry it as a sneaky self-enrichment tool applying only to senators, not House members.

House Speaker Mike Johnson called it a “bad look” and vowed repeal. Representative Bryan Steil of Wisconsin led the floor push, arguing no official should enrich themselves from government actions. Democrat Jim McGovern declared it “about damn time.” The House’s second attempt follows a November standalone bill, H.R. 6019, passed 426-0 but blocked by Graham.

Key Players and Motivations Divide Congress

Representative Virginia Foxx introduced the amendment in the House Rules Committee. Senate Majority Leader John Thune remains uncommitted, previously proposing awards be forfeited to the Treasury. Johnson cites DOJ “weaponization” but plans no suit, aiming to expose corruption. House members from both parties prioritize clean funding bills and taxpayer protection. The Wisconsin delegation voted unanimously against the perk. Power dynamics favor the House’s procedural majority, pressuring Senate GOP ahead of recess.

Pro-repeal forces include Steil, Foxx, and McGovern, viewing it as unacceptable self-enrichment. Anti-repeal senators like Johnson, Graham, and Thune defend against investigative overreach. DOJ and Jack Smith stand as implicit targets of potential suits.

Implications for Taxpayers and Congressional Integrity

Short-term, the Senate must act or risk shutdown; repeal kills lawsuit paths for the eight senators, potentially worth millions. Long-term, it sets precedent against self-serving riders in must-pass bills, heightening scrutiny on appropriations. Taxpayers avoid payouts, fueling distrust in D.C. cronyism. Experts like Ken Mayer of UW-Madison call it “banana republic crony capitalism,” predicting political damage. Paul Nolette of Marquette notes rare bipartisan outrage corners the Senate. Bipartisan critics like Senator Ron Wyden and Representative Chip Roy label it taxpayer waste and self-serving.