Senate Republican Lindsey Graham appears to have temporarily backed down from a key demand, allowing lawmakers targeted by special counsel Jack Smith to potentially seek millions in compensation from the Justice Department. However, he remains resolute that any vote on the bill will be blocked unless measures are included to "criminalize" the targeting of lawmakers.
Graham's stance comes after Senate Democrats and the White House agreed to strip funding for the Department of Homeland Security from the package, replacing it with a two-week stopgap measure. The decision was made in response to Graham's objections over the removal of his Arctic Frost provision, which would have allowed senators to sue the Justice Department if their phone records were seized without their knowledge.
The provision had been championed by Graham after his own phone records were seized as part of an investigation into the January 6 riot. However, other Republican senators had distanced themselves from the proposal, leaving Graham as the sole advocate for its passage.
Graham's refusal to back down was labelled a "temper tantrum" by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who accused him of being driven by an "obsessive quest" for a potential multi-million-dollar slush fund. In response, Graham attacked his critics as "politically dumb as a rock," vowing to hold up the vote unless he can secure guaranteed passage of legislation aimed at criminalizing the targeting of lawmakers.
The bill's fate remains uncertain, with Graham maintaining that any vote will be blocked until his demands are met. The looming deadline for a government shutdown has brought the issue to the forefront, with many observers warning of the potential consequences of a failure to reach an agreement.
Graham's stance comes after Senate Democrats and the White House agreed to strip funding for the Department of Homeland Security from the package, replacing it with a two-week stopgap measure. The decision was made in response to Graham's objections over the removal of his Arctic Frost provision, which would have allowed senators to sue the Justice Department if their phone records were seized without their knowledge.
The provision had been championed by Graham after his own phone records were seized as part of an investigation into the January 6 riot. However, other Republican senators had distanced themselves from the proposal, leaving Graham as the sole advocate for its passage.
Graham's refusal to back down was labelled a "temper tantrum" by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who accused him of being driven by an "obsessive quest" for a potential multi-million-dollar slush fund. In response, Graham attacked his critics as "politically dumb as a rock," vowing to hold up the vote unless he can secure guaranteed passage of legislation aimed at criminalizing the targeting of lawmakers.
The bill's fate remains uncertain, with Graham maintaining that any vote will be blocked until his demands are met. The looming deadline for a government shutdown has brought the issue to the forefront, with many observers warning of the potential consequences of a failure to reach an agreement.
how can one person hold up an entire gov't over just wanting some protection from having their phone records seized?? 
its not about being "politically dumb" or trying to score a slush fund, its about some people feeling vulnerable and scared. like if i had my phone records taken without knowing, i would freak out too 
i wish we could have a calm convo about this instead of it turning into a huge drama fest 
. Like, he's not even willing to back down on his demand to "criminalize" targeting lawmakers unless it's included in the bill. And now the WH and Dem senators are stripping funding for DHS and replacing it with a temporary fix... it's like they're playing hardball 
. Graham's saying he's just trying to protect himself and other senators, but it feels like he's being super petty about his own phone records getting seized 
. And can we talk about how ridiculous it sounds when he calls out Jeffries for calling him a "rockhead" 
? It's time for Graham to grow up and work with the other senators on this bill. A government shutdown is not an option, fam 
. Like, do they really need to be able to sue the Justice Department over their phone records? 
It seems like there are so many other important things that could be prioritized in the bill. Anyway, fingers crossed that they can figure out some compromise soon and avoid a government shutdown 
!
. Still, I get why Senate Democrats and the White House wanted to take that funding out - it's all about avoiding another embarrassing Congressional debacle 
. Guess you could say his "arctic frost" provision was just a fancy way of saying he wanted a sweet little side hustle 
... meanwhile, the whole thing is still super uncertain and everyone's on edge about a potential gov shutdown 
. Can't say I'm rooting for Graham to win this one either 
. I just think he's trying to hold the whole thing hostage for personal gain... and I'm not buying it 
It's like, they're all about being tough on laws now but when it comes to their own senators' personal stuff... they just wanna chill? 
Anyway, I hope they can find a compromise soon so we don't have a government shutdown 
it's kinda funny that he thinks others will just magically do it for him 
] 
. It's like, can't we all just get along? I don't think this is a huge deal, but at the same time, if someone's phone records are being seized without their consent... that's some serious stuff 
. And now it seems like Graham's trying to use it as leverage to get something in return 
... but what if they just don't want to play along?
? His whole "criminalize targeting of lawmakers" thing is just a clear power grab 
like what's next? him demanding unicorns in exchange for passing bills 
like "politically dumb as a rock" is low key my fave burn of the year 
the fact that democrats and white house agreed to strip funding from DHS but still wont budge on criminalization of targeting lawmakers means theyre probably more scared than graham 
.
but nope, graham is still holding out 
and threatening to block the whole vote