A section of the continuing resolution that brought an end to the longest government shutdown in history, titled "Requiring Senate Notification for Senate Data," allows Senators who were directly targeted in former Special Counsel Jack Smith's Arctic Frost investigation to sue the U.S. government for up to $500,000.
House Republicans are not happy with a vote proceeding next week to repeal the provision. They agreed that the affected lawmakers should be able to sue, but were not happy that it would come at the expense of the American taxpayer.
These senators added a provision to re-open the government stating that they would get $500k if DOJ settles regarding their Arctic Frost lawsuit. What about J6? This is terrible. Very disappointed to see some of the members on here. You can’t self deal like this. Especially not… pic.twitter.com/NerO4cn7Ua
— Anna Paulina Luna (@realannapaulina) November 12, 2025
Several Senators were unaware of the provision. and the majority of those affected have no intention of pursuing legal action.
Rep. John Rose of Tennessee introduced the legislation to repeal it.
"The American people should not be asked to make compensation to United States senators, the ultimate insiders, if you will — who have been wronged, no doubt in my mind … this provision does not allow other Americans to pursue a remedy. It does not even allow the President of the United States, who was equally wrongfully surveilled and pursued by the Justice Department — they didn't even include President Trump in this," Rep. Rose told Fox News Digital. "They saved this special treat for themselves. And, you know, frankly, the right answer is that they should all disavow that immediately."
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House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole of Oklahoma said that Republicans were forced to choose between ending the shutdown or derailing it even further.
"It had been done without our knowledge. I mean, it had been added in the Senate without our knowledge," Cole told Fox News Digital. "It was a real trust factor … I mean, all of a sudden, this pops up in the bill, and we're confronted with either leave this in here, or we pull it out, we have to go to conference, and the government doesn't get reopened."
The provision was placed in the bill by Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota, and greenlit by Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York.
Speaker Johnson said:
I was just as surprised by the inclusion of that language as anyone. I had no prior notice of it at all. I was frustrated, as my colleagues are over here, and I thought it was untimely and inappropriate. So we'll be requesting, strongly urging, our Senate colleagues to repeal that.
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