House ‘pretty rattled’ at funding bill provision: Lauren Green
The House of Representatives is upset over a provision included in the recently passed federal funding bill, which they plan to remove. This provision, added in the Senate’s version, allows senators to sue the government for unauthorized access to their data, with payouts of at least $500,000 per violation. The measure relates to an inquiry called “Arctic Frost,” led by Special Counsel Jack Smith, which gathered phone communications from several Republican lawmakers. Some House Republicans,including Reps. Thomas Massie and Greg Steube, opposed the bill once the provision became known, and House Speaker Mike Johnson expressed significant frustration about it.Johnson intends to introduce a repeal of the provision soon, hoping for fast passage in the House. However, it remains uncertain if Senate Majority Leader John Thune, who helped insert the provision, will support its removal. Simultaneously occurring, Congress is preparing to consider other controversial measures, including a bipartisan bill to release documents related to Jeffrey Epstein and a potential stock trading ban for lawmakers.
House ‘pretty rattled’ at funding bill provision: Lauren Green
Many lawmakers are very upset with a provision in the federal funding bill they passed and intend to remove it, noted Washington Examiner congressional reporter Lauren Green.
The provision, slipped into the Senate’s version of the funding bill, would allow senators to sue the government for accessing their data without their knowledge, receiving at least $500,000 for each violation.
Green said two House Republicans voted against the funding bill, Reps. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Greg Steube (R-FL), the latter’s vote being unexpected until the provision “came to light” Tuesday night, adding that House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) was “pretty angry” about it.
Green explained that then-Special Council Jack Smith conducted an investigation called “Arctic Frost,” which had obtained phone communications from eight Republican senators and one representative. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) is among those who plan to sue, though House members “were pretty rattled” by the provision.
“I talked to Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna from Florida last night, and she was really upset by the bill, obviously. She didn’t deviate and vote against it, because if this bill didn’t pass or they tried to repeal it before the bill was passed, then it would have had to go back to the Senate, which would have prolonged the government shutdown even longer than it already was,” Green said on LiveNow from Fox Thursday.
“But Johnson did say that he’s going to introduce a provision to repeal it next week that they’ll try to pass under suspension of the rules, which means it’ll need two-thirds majority and it’ll pass almost immediately,” Green said.
Green added that it is unclear if Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) will take up the provision’s repeal. However, it seems Thune supports the provision, since he was “one of the ones that put it in there.”
NOEM UNVEILS $10,000 BONUS PAYCHECKS FOR TSA AGENTS WHO STUCK OUT SHUTDOWN
Besides removing this provision, Green previewed that Congress’s next steps will be voting on a bipartisan bill proposed by Massie and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) to release documents related to Jeffrey Epstein next week. Green said the White House is “extremely against this bill,” but she expects more Republicans than the four who signed the bill’s discharge petition to vote for it.
Green also said a hearing about a stock trading ban has been announced for next Wednesday, something Luna has discussed starting her own discharge petition for. Green said both legislations have been “pretty controversial,” but is looking forward to covering them now that the government has reopened.
" Conservative News Daily does not always share or support the views and opinions expressed here; they are just those of the writer."
*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
