Overview
- Speaker Mike Johnson scheduled a standalone House vote to repeal the provision and publicly condemned its inclusion in the shutdown-ending funding bill.
- Several Republican senators voiced anger over how the clause was added, with Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley open to repeal and Markwayne Mullin criticizing any retroactive application.
- John Thune defended the measure—which includes a $500,000-per-device damages option and a DOJ notification requirement—as a response to Arctic Frost subpoenas of senators’ phone records.
- Chuck Schumer said the language was negotiated to be prospective and now supports removing it, while questions over scope and retroactivity have fueled broader backlash.
- The Senate repeal effort led by Sens. Martin Heinrich and Mark Kelly has 24 Democratic co-sponsors, needs 60 votes to advance, and so far has no Republican backers.