MAGA Republicans slam Senate GOP's 'self-serving' move — but won't fight it

One of the most controversial provisions of the bipartisan deal to reopen the federal government is a stealth provision that could put millions of dollars of taxpayer money directly in a handful of GOP senators' pockets, and even some far-right House Republicans are going on record as being uncomfortable with it.

However, they are stopping just short of supporting Democrats' measures to strip it out of the bill.

The provision in question allows Senate Republicans who had their communications monitored as part of special counsel Jack Smith's investigation of the 2020 election coup plot to sue the federal government for up to $500,000 apiece. The fear among observers is that, aside from being improper, the Trump administration could simply settle the suits immediately and put taxpayer money straight in these senators' pockets as a reward for backing his election conspiracy theories.

According to Punchbowl News' Laura Weiss, some House Republicans think the provision looks bad, and have said they want to eliminate it — but they don't actually want to amend the continuing resolution to get rid of it before passage, and have suggested a more convoluted approach to address the issue.

Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), per the report, slammed the provision as creating the appearance that Senate Republicans are "self-serving" and "self-dealing." However, he, along with Rep. Austin Scott (R-GA), doesn't support amendments to eliminate it, saying instead the best solution would be to force Senate Republicans to repeal it separately in a later bill, so that the shutdown can be resolved as fast as possible.

The bill to reopen the government has more broadly come under criticism from Democratic lawmakers and observers, who point out that it doesn't actually give Democrats what they demanded for weeks, which is the extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies. It does, however, extend nutrition assistance for almost a year, reverses firings of federal workers since October, and guarantees a vote on an ACA extension bill. Even so, its passage isn't guaranteed, nor is it guaranteed to receive a vote in the House.