Chairman Bryan Steil, representing Wisconsin’s 1st District and head of the Committee on House Administration, spoke on the House floor in support of H.R.6019. The legislation aims to repeal certain provisions that allow Senators to sue the federal government over unauthorized access to their data.
Steil opened his remarks by noting that “the government is open and funded.” He pointed out that key services such as SNAP benefits are currently being funded, and federal employees like Air Traffic Controllers and TSA Agents are receiving their paychecks. Steil contrasted this with what he described as Democratic opposition: “if Democrats had it their way, the federal government would still be shut down. People wouldn't be receiving their SNAP benefits. Law enforcement officials at the federal level would not be receiving payment. Air Traffic Controllers and TSA Agents also wouldn't be paid.”
The bill under discussion seeks to remove a provision from recent legislation reopening the government. According to Steil, this provision allows Senators a private cause of action against the United States if their official or personal data is accessed without their knowledge. It also includes a clause enabling Senators to receive a minimum of $500,000 per incident.
“That policy, in my opinion and in the opinion, I think, of all the Members of this institution is unacceptable,” said Steil. “No elected official should be able to enrich themselves because the federal government wronged them.”
Steil addressed concerns about executive overreach but argued that financial compensation for elected officials was not an appropriate solution: “Without question, there are far better ways for the legislative branch to correctly address the Biden Administration’s weaponization of the FBI to spy on United States Senators in its ‘Operation Arctic Frost.’ The abuses by the Biden Administration are completely unacceptable, and I am committed to holding those involved accountable.” He added: “No one benefitted from the failures of the Biden Administration. However, that does not mean that elected officials should be financially benefiting from those failures now.”
He concluded by urging bipartisan support for H.R.6019: “Today, we have an opportunity take a good bill that reopened the federal government and make it better by repealing the provisions that were snuck into the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act of 2026... I urge my colleagues from both sides of the aisle to support H.R. 6019 and repeal this language and I thank my colleague Congressman Austin Scott for bringing it forward.”
