House GOP Wants to Repeal Measure in Shutdown Bill Allowing Senators to Sue Govt
Then why did you vote for the bill?
Um…YOU voted for the bill. Did you not READ the bill before you passed it?
The House GOP has been acting all betrayed because the Senate added a measure that would allow senators targeted by special counsel Jack Smith in Arctic Frost to sue the government for up to $500,000.
It was literally in the bill. If you read the entire bill, then you know it was in there, and yet you voted for it.
House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole (R-OK) knew about the measure and thought it would prevent Republicans and others from voting for the bill to end the shutdown.
Ending the shutdown ultimately won. From Fox News:
It was placed into the bill by Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and given the green light by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., sources confirmed to Fox News Digital.
Thune put the provision into the bill at the request of members of the Senate GOP, a source familiar with the negotiations told Fox News Digital, which included Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas.
It was a big point of contention when the House Rules Committee met to prepare the legislation for a final vote on Tuesday night. Reps. Chip Roy, R-Texas, Austin Scott, R-Ga., and Morgan Griffith, R-Va., all shared House Democrats’ frustration with the measure, but they made clear it would not stand in the way of ending what had become the longest shutdown in history.
Those Republicans agreed with the motivations behind their Senate counterparts wanting to sue but bristled over the notion that it would come at the expense of U.S. taxpayers.
Some of the Republicans targeted by Smith didn’t like the measure.
But again, they still voted for the bill just like the House Republicans.
The repeal should pass the House with bipartisan support.
Maybe that’s why the Republicans voted for the bill despite the provision.
However, what will Senate Majority Leader John Thune do when the repeal passes the House?
According to Politico, eight Senate Republicans subpoenaed by Smith approved of the measure.
“Oh definitely,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC). “And if you think I’m going to settle this thing for a million dollars — no. I want to make it so painful, no one ever does this again … I’m going to pursue through the court system — remedies.”
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Comments
No, they shouldn’t be allowed to sue because the American taxpayer will pay it, not Jack Smith.
They also have no damages to sue for. He was caught before he could do anything with it.
I think if the Feds illegally intercepted YOUR phone calls and text messages – on spec / on a fishing expedition – when they had no legal probable cause – you’d consider the “violation of civil rights” counted as “damages” – even – and especially – if the witch hunt came up dry.
That said – I believe in either case the tax payers would monetarily be on the hook – instead of the individual Feds who broke the law.
Does a congress critter have less civil rights as a regular person then?
Wish when I wanted to sue the government, I could just pass a law that gave me standing ‘n’ everything.
The govt already illegally intercepts our phone calls, but I think you need to understand the legality of damages. You don’t get to sue on what could have happened.
Your opinion, and my opinion, notwithstanding, their Fourth Amendment rights were violated and that is normally recognized by courts as damage eligible for restitution and punishment.
So we go back to a system of absolute immunity for the bad/improper/illegal/unconstitutional acts of govt agents/employees b/c the taxpayers have to fund damages created by their agent/employees?
If some small town LEO pulls you out of a vehicle after issuing a citation (which ends the stop and legally you are no longer detained) then deploys a taser and pepper spray b/c he doesn’t like your attitude then uses his billy club on you, calling his buddies in to join the fun ….that’s gonna be one heck of a valid lawsuit and the local gov’t gonna be on the hook with local taxpayers ultimately paying it. The Federal govt is likewise responsible for the actions of its agents.
The good ol GOP was ok with the government abusing J6ers, but abusing GOP Senators was a bridge too far. Get fucked.
I knew about tot the day before they voted
This is BS
What happened is the people called their representatives and called BS
“Did you not READ the bill before you passed it?”
Shirley — you jest.
Remember the Pelosi Principle? You have to pass it first. THEN you get to know what’s in it.
It’s like a stool sample.
They passed it because they understand politics. If they’d have killed the bill because of this provision, the democrats would have been given cover and “proof” for their claim that the shutdown was all the fault of the Republicans.
“See…we crossed the aisle to get the CR passed but the Republicans in the House killed it!”
And they would have had the full backing of the MSM and “celebrities”.
Of course that wouldn’t have fooled Republicans, but they’ve already got the votes of Republicans, they only have to fool the fools in the squishy middle who don’t read or listen to Republican news sources.
We’ve got an uphill battle for the mid-terms already, giving the enemy the ammunition they need to bolster their defense would be a bit silly at this point.
They did the right thing…pass the bill first, then worry about trying to repeal the “poison pill” that was put in it by the Senate. And, honestly, as poison pills go, this one wasn’t all that poisonous to begin with. More like a “this will give you a bit of an upset stomach” pill.
Yep. It was in the bill. They knew it was in the bill. They had a choice to vote up/down and went ahead and voted to pass it with this provision. The time to raise objections was before passage. It is still fair to criticize the provision itself and/or the way it was put into a ‘must pass’ bill but trying to undo it is stupid.
So what should they have done? Voted against the bill and keep the government shut?! They had no choice but to vote for the bill whether they agreed with this clause or not.
And yes, anyone illegally targeted by Smith’s fishing expedition should be able to sue the government on whose behalf he was acting. The only thing stopping them was sovereign immunity, which should be waived, and now is.
They could have done the politically tough work and mustered the numbers to block the provision in the committee. They could have done the same to create and get a vote on an amendment on the floor to strip out that provision.
Of course that would be unlikely to succeed. Would have sent the CR back to the Senate to vote for the now amended CR delaying final passage and pushing back reopening. Trump would likely have been angry posting on Truth Social for anyone doing it. There would be opportunists using the issue to divide GoP coalition or to play to their audience that were ‘more authentically MAGA’ than the ‘other guys’. Legacy media and d/prog would at minimum make hay out of it seeking to deepen divisions. Admittedly not great options but there were options beside refusing to vote for it, though pursuing the options would have carried a cost. IMO the yes votes now whining decided the political cost outweighed any perceived benefit of pursuing these options.
That would have required sending it back to the senate, where it would once again depend on the eight floor-crossers. What if one of them changed their mind? And even if none of them did it would have delayed any reopening by at least another day, perhaps two.
Which is what I stated in my post it would have to go back to the Senate for passage of the amended CR. No good options doesn’t mean no options and all choices/trade-offs always come with consequences.
Does the bill eliminate qualified immunity for Smith and his minions? I’d read somewhere that it does. This could make it worthwhile.
This has no value for a GOP senator because the claim will be tried before a D.C. judge and jury who are not known for their sympathy towards GOP members or causes.
Alternatively the Trump WH could order the DoJ to settle the claims on favorable terms to Senators. Sue and settle isn’t just for d/prog anymore.
100%.
Screw these grifting losers.
You aren’t special. Members of Congress aren’t sacred untouchable morons.
None of you lifted a damn finger to help everybody else the government illegally spied on.
No, you just want to use it to get yourselves a wad of cash.
Screw all of you.
Unlike a citizen who would HAVE to sue, because he has no other recourse, these clods are the very people who can ENSURE that no such abuse ever happens again.
So screw the shortcuts and do your damn job, clods!
They passed a law to give themselves money from the public fisc. And they did it such that they were the sole beneficiaries in a clean CR that could not be politically opposed by any of their peers. The very essence of corruption.