Washington — Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, blocked a Democrat-led effort to approve a House-passed measure to repeal a controversial provision that allows senators to sue for $500,000 if federal investigators search their phone records without their knowledge.

Sen. Martin Heinrich, a New Mexico Democrat, sought unanimous consent to approve the measure after the House unanimously passed the bill Wednesday, saying the provision many lawmakers are looking to repeal, which was tucked in last week's funding package, represents a country that "is not serving the people."

"Last week Republicans in Congress passed a government funding bill that denies affordable health care to millions of Americans," Heinrich said. "But what most people don't know is that they also voted

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