00:00The government's back open, but else Republicans aren't happy with what Senate Republicans slipped into the spending bill.
00:09I've struggled with what the right course of action here is because what they did is wrong.
00:12It's found in Section 213 addressing subpoenas directed at senators.
00:18Any senator whose Senate data or the Senate data of whose Senate office has been acquired, subpoenaed, searched, accessed, or disclosed in violation of the section
00:27may bring a civil action against the United States if the violation was committed by an officer, employer, agent of the United States, or any federal department of agent or agent.
00:37What the heck does that mean?
00:38And why specifically is the House not happy about it?
00:42Let me explain.
00:43The bill says secret subpoenas can't be used to access what it defines as Senate data.
00:48Basically, anything done on official Senate accounts or devices, whether for professional or personal use.
00:54Anyone requesting that info has to notify the senator's office with little exception.
00:59Violate that policy and senators can sue.
01:02Senator prevails on a claimant of the subject and the court shall, not may, shall award for each instance of a violation of this section
01:11the greater of, not the lesser of, of statutory damages of $500,000 or the amount of actual damages, reasonable attorney fees, cost of litigation.
01:21That's $500,000 per device.
01:23And this policy applies to past actions going all the way back to January 1st, 2022.
01:30Why then?
01:31The Arctic Frost investigation.
01:34Dubbed by Republican Senator Chuck Grassley, Arctic Frost was the FBI's probe into an alleged conspiracy
01:40to overturn the 2020 election results in favor of President Trump.
01:44An FBI agent issued secret subpoenas for cell phone records of lawmakers suspected to be involved.
01:50Now that the government funding bill has become law, senators investigated in Arctic Frost can sue for every violation.
01:57So let's say one of those lawmakers had their work phone and email searched.
02:02They could sue for a minimum of $1 million.
02:06It is unconscionable that what we are debating right now is legislation that will give eight members of the United States Senate over a million dollars apiece.
02:18House Speaker Mike Johnson said he plans to fast-track repealing the provision.
02:22Both sides have been critical of it, with Rep. Melanie Stansberry calling it corrupt, anti-constitutional self-dealing.
02:29Questions?
02:30Want us to investigate something else on the funding bill?
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