’Speaker Johnson, I Won’t Forget This’: Lindsey Graham Threatens Top Republican for Thwarting Lawsuit

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) ended his blockade that had prevented the Senate from passing the House funding package, but not before putting House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) on notice for crossing him on certain provisions.

On Friday, Graham outlined his demands for agreeing to the bill, which included “a promise of a vote at a later date on his bill to end so-called sanctuary cities that resist the administration’s immigration policies,” according to ABC News.

Graham also took a raincheck for a vote related to former Special Counsel Jack Smith’s Arctic Frost investigation, which obtained phone records of some senators who were assisting President Donald Trump’s attempt to overturn the 2020 election.

Johnson stripped the House funding package of a provision that would allow those lawmakers, including Graham, to sue over the data collection. Graham had indicated he intended to seek $500,000 in damages from the federal government.

“I’m not going to give up on the idea that we should abandon holding Jack Smith accountable,” Graham said on the Senate floor. “The House, you took the Arctic Frost language of the Senate and took it all out. You could have called me about the $500,000. I would be glad to work with you. You jammed me, Speaker Johnson! I won’t forget this.”

Graham continued:

You took the provision and you gutted it. You took the notification provision out telling senators or congressmen they’re asking for your phone records when you’re not under criminal investigation, and you should know…It’s Republicans today, could be Democrats tomorrow. We should all want to be notified as senators if a separate branch of government, the Executive Branch, is looking for our phone records unless we’re charged or investigating a crime. That’s just common sense. They took that out.

There was a stampede in the House. Everybody says, “Well, it passed unanimously in the House.” I could care less! What you did, I think was wrong. You’re overreacting. We’ll fix the $500,000. Count me in. But you took the notification out, and I’m not going to give up on that.

Graham added, “I’m demanding a vote on the floor of the United States Senate, an amendment that requires notification to a member of Congress if their phone records are being looked at by the Executive Branch unless they are under criminal investigation.”

A short partial government shutdown is still expected since time is running out before Friday’s midnight deadline, and the House will need to reconsider the legislation.

Watch the clip above via C-SPAN.

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