Fight erupts on Senate floor over provision letting senators reap millions from suing DOJ

The Hill ^ | 11/20/25 4:56 PM ET | Alexander Bolton

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Democratic senators clashed with Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) on the Senate floor Thursday when the GOP leader proposed a resolution to clarify that any damages won by Republican senators from lawsuits against the Department of Justice (DOJ) would go to the U.S. Treasury and not to the senators’ bank accounts.

Responding to complaints that empowering Republican senators to sue the Justice Department for millions of dollars is inappropriate or unseemly, Thune on Thursday proposed a compromise.

He suggested that colleagues approve a resolution by unanimous consent to clarify that any financial compensation awarded to senators would go to the U.S. Treasury, so that lawmakers would not be seen as enriching themselves.

“This would clarify that any damages awarded under this law would be forfeited to the United States Treasury. So, no United States senator could benefit,” Thune, who this week has steadfastly defended the provision that’s divided lawmakers, said.

Democrats immediately shot down the proposal, declaring it didn’t go far enough to address the appearance that the recently passed law had created a major conflict of interest.

Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) said he wanted to make a “statutory change” to ensure that senators would not benefit financially and argued that the Senate should work with the House to address the “outrageous damage provisions.” He then objected to Thune’s proposal.

A provision tucked into the government funding bill passed last week empowers GOP senators surveilled by the Biden-era Justice Department to sue the federal government for hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars in damages. It is retroactive to 2022, meaning it applies to senators whose phone records were sought by former special counsel Jack Smith.

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TOPICS: Government; Politics/Elections
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[JBW1949]

If there WOULD be a fight, I’d like to see Jim Jordan punch Jerry Nadler in the nose...LOL

[Uncle Miltie]

Can we get a real fight with at least fists?

I’m quite sure a great number of them deserve the beating …

[rottweiller_inc]

“Why shouldn’t Senators who were spied on not be able to sue?”

Why should a Senator get money for being spied on when the ordinary people are spied on a lot more and get nothing in return but platitudes and promises to change?