WASHINGTON—The House of Representatives unanimously voted on Jan. 22 to overturn a provision that would allow senators to sue the Department of Justice for unlawfully searching their phone records.
The measure, introduced by Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.), passed by a vote of 427–0 as an amendment to a must-pass appropriations bill. It mirrors legislation the House approved unanimously in November but that the Senate has yet to consider.
The House is scheduled to vote on the appropriations bill on Jan. 22. If it goes through the House, the Senate would need to pass it.
The contested provision was included in the bill that ended the 43-day government shutdown in November. It permits senators to seek up to $500,000 in damages if they were not notified that their phone records were accessed during the Justice Department’s Arctic Frost investigation, which examined President Donald Trump’s efforts to challenge the 2020 election results. Under federal law, lawmakers must be notified when their records are searched….
House Votes to Remove Senate Payout Provision
