Kelly, Heinrich, Introduce Anti-Cash Grab Act to Repeal Taxpayer-Funded Senator Payouts

The Anti-Cash Grab Act repeals a last-minute provision allowing Republican senators to collect $500,000 per lawfully subpoenaed phone record

Today, Senators Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Martin Heinrich (D-NM) led 26 Senate colleagues to introduce the Anti-Cash Grab Act, legislation that will repeal a provision—quietly added into the Senate government funding bill by Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) at the last minute—that allows senators to collect $500,000 for every phone record lawfully obtained. 

“While we were fighting to lower health care costs and keep food on the table for hardworking Americans, Senate Republicans were slipping a taxpayer-funded payout for themselves into the government funding bill,” said Kelly. “It’s a political cash grab—plain and simple, and our bill puts an end to it. Republicans and Democrats should be able to agree that ripping off American taxpayers is bad policy.” 

“While Democrats were fighting to make health care more affordable and help working families put food on the table, Senate Republicans were focused on taxpayer-funded windfalls for themselves. Let’s be crystal clear: negotiating a $500,000 windfall for yourself while refusing to help everyday Americans is wrong and deserves to be called out,” said Heinrich, Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch. “Our bill is about accountability, transparency, and fighting for working families. The Senate must take this bill up and pass it now.” 

In addition to Kelly and Heinrich, the Anti-Cash Grab Act is cosponsored by Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Chris Coons (D-DE), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Angus King (I-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Patty Murray (D-WA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Brain Schatz (D-HI), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Peter Welch (D-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).  

A one-pager summary of the bill is here.  

The full text of the bill is here.