Repeal of Senate Notification Requirements Relating to Legal Process on Disclosures of Senate Data

Floor Speech

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Mr. ROSE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6019, a bill that I am proud to be an original cosponsor of. It would repeal the indefensible Senate payday provision that was snuck into the critical funding legislation to reopen the government last week.

With the goal of ending the suffering caused by the Schumer shutdown top of mind, I voted yes on the CR. It was the right thing to do. I hope the American people are never again used as ``leverage.''

However, what the Senate sent us contained a poison pill, a provision to give certain Senators the ability to sue the Federal Government for $500,000, or perhaps millions of dollars, for alleged illegal surveillance conducted by the Biden DOJ. I remain convinced the last administration conducted a large number of politically motivated investigations. However, the solution isn't for aggrieved lawmakers to get a payday at taxpayer expense.

As Members of Congress, the people have entrusted us to be a check on the executive branch. They didn't send us here to collect checks when the executive oversteps.

All Members of the House should take issue with Senate leadership for secretly slipping in this provision. In fact, whoever carefully crafted this scheme failed to tell their Senate colleagues. I agree with Senator John Kennedy, who said: ``Whoever put this in had an obligation to tell us about it, and they didn't.''

The consensus of many legal experts is that this provision amounts to a pay increase. To me, the provision reads like a Christmas bonus, and that is blatantly unconstitutional. It defies the 27th Amendment, which says no law can change a lawmaker's compensation until a new Congress is sworn in.

If the House legislation we are debating today does not receive a vote in the Senate, I want to make it clear that I am taking action.

Today, I have introduced H. Res. 892, a House resolution that empowers Speaker Johnson to bring this issue before the courts and challenge the so-called Senate payday provision as blatantly unconstitutional.

Importantly, because my resolution is a House resolution, it does not require the consent or cooperation of the Senate, which has shamefully shown no willingness to undo this egregious policy. The House does not have to wait for the Senate to act and watch idly while this payday stands.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support Representative Scott's legislation and to support my resolution so we can stand up for the integrity of Congress, uphold the Constitution, and restore public trust in this institution.

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