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Rep. Subramanyam seeks to block GOP payout clause
The amendment targets funding bill provision tied to Jan. 6 probe
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Malvika Choudhary - Wed, 12, Nov 2025
- 14:37 EST
- 17
Suhas Subramanyam / Wikipedia
Congressman Suhas Subramanyam moved to block a provision in the government funding bill that would allow eight Republican senators to claim payouts over phone records collected during the Jan. 6 investigation.
The Virginia Democrat, who serves on the House Ethics Committee, filed an amendment in the Rules Committee to remove the clause, which would enable senators to seek at least $500,000 each in taxpayer money and limit the federal government’s ability to defend itself against such claims.
Also Read: Rep. Subramanyam moves to aid small businesses during shutdown
“Republicans couldn’t help but use this as another opportunity to further their own corruption,” Subramanyam said.
Did you know that the government funding bill has a provision that would force the DOJ to give millions in taxpayer money to at least 8 Republican Senators investigated after the Jan 6 insurrection? Not an exaggeration.
— Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10) (@RepSuhas) November 12, 2025
And when I proposed an amendment last night to stop it,… pic.twitter.com/oimzvzcFBw
“In this case, Senate Republicans are bemoaning national debt on one hand but spending millions in taxpayer money in a Republican ransack. This bill has Congress spending more taxpayer dollars on kickbacks to Republican Senators than on affordability and healthcare costs. This corrupt provision needs to go, and Republicans must join us in voting it down if they are serious,” he added.
The clause, reportedly added during Senate negotiations led by Minority Leader John Thune, has drawn bipartisan criticism.
According to reports, it stems from complaints by Republican senators—including Lindsey Graham, Josh Hawley, Marsha Blackburn, and Ron Johnson—whose phone metadata was accessed by federal investigators examining efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
If left intact, the provision would allow affected senators to sue the government for statutory damages and attorney’s fees. Critics, including some House Republicans, have warned it could result in millions in payouts and set a precedent for self-benefiting legislation. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) described the measure as a “corrupt cash bonus” for GOP senators.
The government funding package, which passed the Senate earlier this month as part of an agreement to end the federal shutdown, is expected to be taken up in the House Rules Committee later this week.
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