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MaddowBlog-House votes to prevent Senate Republicans from cashing in on faux scandal
Senate Republicans empowered themselves to file lucrative “Arctic Frost” lawsuits, but House Republicans voted unanimously to take that power away.
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/house-votes-prevent-senate-republicans-cashing-faux-scandal-rcna244968
In a deeply divided U.S. House where practically every vote seems contentious, it’s good to know that there are still some ideas that can pass with literally no opposition. The New York Times reported:
To briefly recap, the spending package that ended the government shutdown was divisive the moment it reached the public, but it appeared even more controversial after the political world learned of a provocative provision that Senate Republicans had tucked into the package.
Under the language included in the bill, GOP senators whose phone records were searched as part of special counsel Jack Smith’s Jan. 6 investigation would have the ability to file lucrative lawsuits. (Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas told Politico that it was Senate Majority Leader John Thune himself who made sure this provision was included in the final bill.)
Even by contemporary congressional standards, it was a brazen move — in part because the GOP’s “Arctic Frost” claims appear baseless, in part because the provision was added to the legislation in secret, and in part because it’s rare to see senators pave the way for themselves to file dubious lawsuits in which they personally would be rewarded with taxpayer money.....
Again, the senators were not actually harmed in any way, and if Republicans have anything to substantiate their baseless “weaponization” claims, they’ve kept that evidence well hidden.
In other words, Thune championed a provision to allow Senate Republicans to cash in, with money from American taxpayers, in response to a faux scandal. His position further suggests that the South Dakotan will likely ignore its House-backed repeal, despite the unanimous vote in the lower chamber.
The House on Wednesday voted to repeal a measure that creates a new legal avenue for senators to sue the government for at least $500,000 each if federal investigators access their phone records without notifying them. The unanimous 426-to-0 vote reflected the deep well of bipartisan fury that built up over the provision, quietly inserted by Senate Republicans into legislation to reopen the government, that blindsided senior lawmakers overseeing spending bills.
To briefly recap, the spending package that ended the government shutdown was divisive the moment it reached the public, but it appeared even more controversial after the political world learned of a provocative provision that Senate Republicans had tucked into the package.
Under the language included in the bill, GOP senators whose phone records were searched as part of special counsel Jack Smith’s Jan. 6 investigation would have the ability to file lucrative lawsuits. (Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas told Politico that it was Senate Majority Leader John Thune himself who made sure this provision was included in the final bill.)
Even by contemporary congressional standards, it was a brazen move — in part because the GOP’s “Arctic Frost” claims appear baseless, in part because the provision was added to the legislation in secret, and in part because it’s rare to see senators pave the way for themselves to file dubious lawsuits in which they personally would be rewarded with taxpayer money.....
Again, the senators were not actually harmed in any way, and if Republicans have anything to substantiate their baseless “weaponization” claims, they’ve kept that evidence well hidden.
In other words, Thune championed a provision to allow Senate Republicans to cash in, with money from American taxpayers, in response to a faux scandal. His position further suggests that the South Dakotan will likely ignore its House-backed repeal, despite the unanimous vote in the lower chamber.